You've Got Mail
by HAWTgeek
Summary: It's been six years since Percy left Annabeth abruptly. Annabeth ran away to California to get away from it all,and she still doesn't know why he left her. Annabeth tried to go on with her life and stay as far away from Percy,who had tried to find her and finally explain, but she doesn't know that Percy is AtlanticBoy16,the boy she's been talking to for three months online.
1. Chapter 1

_**You've Got Mail**_

* * *

_**Annabeth,**_

_One New Instant Message_

My laptop's screen lit up immediately, as I had set it so long ago, and it caught my attention even from the kitchen.

"I'll just meet you in the lobby," I quickly told the pizza man as I balanced my phone on my shoulder and started to pad towards the living room, where I had my office set up for now. The pizza man said something, but I really didn't pay attention.

Instead, I thanked him and hung up the phone as I typed my password into the laptop.

I pressed the button to bring me to my IM.

**AtlanticBoy16: What time is it there?**

I smiled as I typed back my response, tuning out a report on the news about some problem in the middle east.

**WiseGirl210: Nine. Which means it's four where you are. Shouldn't you be at the beach by now?**

**AtlanticBoy16: It rained. How's the weather in Sunny California?**

**WiseGirl210: Dark**

**AtlanticBoy16: :-D**

I had met AB three months ago.

Well, I hadn't _met_ him.

We had met online when I had gone looking for a florist for my wedding. Though I had gone on the wrong site completely, I had started talking to AtlanticBoy16, and I had talked to him every day since (or almost every day).

**AtlanticBoy16: Why are you online? I thought Henry had banned you from your laptop after eight thirty.**

My fingers lingered on the letter 'N', and I hesitated.

_Henry._

My fiancé.

Well, my _ex-fiancé_.

It hadn't really set in yet.

It had been a few days ago when I had been looking through the possible invites for our wedding and suddenly couldn't do it. Any of it. I couldn't pick out a font or correct color, and I definitely couldn't call up my overly-expensive wedding planner. But, more importantly, I just couldn't get married.

When Henry had gotten down on one knee and given me his grandmother's ring, I had gasped and hadn't been able to answer. When I had picked out my wedding dress, I had stared in disbelief. And, when we had chosen December 17th as the day that we would pledge our lives to the other, I had been so shocked that I didn't tell anyone for weeks.

I had thought it was joy from the wedding, but I suddenly saw what it really was.

_Hesitation_.

Henry had come home from work, carrying a bag full of groceries to make the next amazing culinary creation in our specially made kitchen, and it was hard to miss the blonde staring at invitations on the hardwood floors.

He had come over to me, and I guess he just knew.

It was so…peaceful.

Like we had both seen this coming.

I don't even remember the break-up really. It was like we just knew to break up, and we began the arrangements for what we were going to do.

He left to think, and I packed.

I didn't know where I was going, but I suddenly didn't want to be there anymore. I cleared out my stuff and had him send the rest to my dad in San Francisco. But I didn't know if I was going there. Or if I was going to a friends. Or if I was just completely getting out of town.

Luckily, the apartment building that I had just built had a great opening, and I could come in right away.

It wasn't until that night, when I was sleeping in a hotel with the other side of the bed empty that it set in.

I suddenly thought about the life we had planned.

About how we would never find out if we got the good references to get a rescue Boston Terrier that we had wanted. How he would never marvel at my wedding dress. How we would never start a family together, which he had spent years trying to talk me into. How we would never get up on Saturday morning, and he would try to teach our children-and _me_- how to make pancakes.

I wasn't sure that I missed Henry. Or that I missed our constant talk of the wedding on December 17th even though it was months away. And I definitely knew that I didn't miss the way he looked at me every time I threw a Hotpocket in the microwave instead of cooking a healthy and delicious meal that my fiancé/personal five star chef had tried to teach me.

But I missed having him sleep beside me.

It had been so long since I had slept alone.

I had met Henry four years ago, and he had basically moved in with me after six months after we got together. We had bought an apartment precisely in between his restaurant and my office, and I had especially taken care to making him the kitchen that a chef of his status deserved and the office I needed. And, right as we finally got all of the renovations completed, Henry proposed to me at his first meal in the apartment.

So, for four years, I hadn't really slept alone.

And, before then, I had someone to love, too…

Another ding from my computer brought me back to the real world.

**AtlanticBoy16: What happened?**

I paused, trying to figure out the best way to put it.

**WiseGirl210: We broke up****.**

AB hesitated.

**AtlanticBoy16: Are you okay?**

**WiseGirl210: Yeah… our break-up went smoothly, I guess. And I still have that apartment that Malcolm was begging me to turn into an office.**

**AtlanticBoy16: What are you going to do now?**

Now that was a good question.

I was thirty-years old, which I guess was ancient in LA, and I was newly single, not sure where to go next.

I had never _really_ liked LA. When I came to LA, it was supposed to be for two months. But then I met and fell in love with Henry. So, I stayed around just to see where this could go.

In my head, I thought back to my offers from my company, Mt. Olympus Architectural Agency. As one of the three founders, with some of my Athenian and Minerva siblings, I could go anywhere in the worldwide company we had built together.

Tokyo.

Washington DC (I hear there is a monument that Athena talked someone into that needs to be built).

Miami.

London.

New York.

_New York. _

I hadn't been back in so long.

My family now lived on the West Coast, and I hadn't been back to camp in who-knows-how-long. I hadn't gotten to see my great creation of Olympus in so long that I was actually begging to long to see it again. And it was all because of one man.

When we broke up six years ago, I didn't know what to do.

I had been with him since we were sixteen. We had been together for almost ten years when suddenly we had broken up. I don't know why, and I probably never will. All I know is that he moved out of our small apartment, and I never heard from him again.

Well, I never gave him a chance.

I got my stuff and, blurry-eyed, I caught a cab and bought a plane ticket.

**WiseGirl210: I don't know. I think I'm going to move. I don't know where, but I'm definitely getting out of here.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Good luck with that, Wise. Moving can be hard... Not that I've moved since College.**

I was about to respond when my intercom beeped.

"Miss Chase, the pizza you ordered is here."

* * *

_**Percy,**_

**WiseGirl210: Gotta go. Pizza's here, and I still have all this work to finish. I'll talk to you tomorrow?**

I smiled to myself as I replied, and I logged off for the day.

_WiseGirl210._

I didn't know who she was, or if it was even a 'she' instead of some creepy perv out there. But, whoever this person was, I liked them. Even with the sudden trivia facts coming out with just about every subject I bring up.

"Daddy?"

I was brought back to the rainy New York day, where I was impatiently sitting at an ice cream shop.

I looked over to see my son, Noah, smiling up at me.

I closed the laptop and swooped my five year old son into a hug.

"I missed you so much, buddy," I kissed his cheek, despite how he had told me so long that he was too grown up for that. But he was still my baby, no matter how old he got.

When Noah had been born, it had been a battle to get his mother to let him have my last name, and I couldn't even imagine battling for custody. So, I got my occasional weekend and bit my tongue no matter how much I missed my son. But, when he was three and started telling me about mommy's new boyfriend and about how he screamed all the time at night, I immediately went to court.

What I got was main custody.

She got a month during summer and the occasional weekend, and sometimes I feel like I shouldn't of even let her have that.

"Thanks for letting me take him to soccer practice today, Percy," JoJo pushed her golden blonde hair behind her ear and nervously tugged at her tee shirt.

When JoJo had custody of our son, she had been awful about it. She would barely let me take him to get an ice cream on Saturday without acting like I owed her something for getting to spend time with my child. Which is why she couldn't handle it when I was nice about our custody agreement. She kept waiting for me to be as evil as she had been.

As she had always been…

"I'm sure Noah had fun, right, Kiddo?" I ruffled his hair as I set him back on his feet.

Noah nodded quickly.

"We had a lot of fun, Daddy! And Coach told me that he wanted me to be the big star at the next game!" Noah smiled proudly.

"And he should. You're the best soccer player out there, Noah," JoJo smiled.

She had been evil in every other way, but I had to admit that she was good to her child.

Suddenly, JoJo's phone rang with an inappropriate song that reminded me why I had taken back custody.

"That reminds me. I've got to get going. I love you, Noah," JoJo leaned down to kiss the top of our son's head and quickly scurried out of the ice cream shop, which was precisely in between both of our apartments.

It was like a small town shop, the kind that I would have wanted to raise my child in.

"Want an ice cream, buddy?" I smiled down at him, knowing how he got sad every time his mother just left like that.

Like she always seemed to…

"Superman Ice Cream!" Noah smiled happily as he pulled himself up to sit in a 50's style chair, and I ordered two blue and red ice creams, making sure that they drowned Noah's in sprinkles and chocolate sauce.

And you should have seen his face when I handed him the ice cream.

"Thanks, Daddy," Noah began to dig into the ice cream, getting his little face covered.

It was these little moments that made up for it.

As you can probably guess, JoJo and I were never really _together_.

No, she was just an old college acquaintance that I would stop to talk to if I ran into her in the grocery store or something.

I was in love with Annabeth Chase, still kind of am.

And one night, six years ago, Annabeth had completely freaked out. She left me for maybe a little under a month. So, I moped and I moped. Finally, Grover got me up and took me to some bar to cheer me up again. I got drunk almost immediately, and I made a big mistake almost immediately.

Two months later, everything was fine again. Everything was like it was supposed to be with people who just moved into together. Annabeth and I screamed over things like breaking a plate, saying that it was only broken because it belonged to one of us before instead of both of us, and we would passionately make-up two minutes later. But something had put a blip in my plan.

One day, JoJo called. I had almost forgotten who _Johanna Harriet _was since she had been known as JoJo for as long as I had known her. But, when I answered the phone, I knew that creaky voice anywhere.

Pregnant.

I didn't know what to do.

I couldn't face Annabeth, so I left.

By the time I realized that I had to go back and talk to her because I couldn't live without her, Annabeth was gone.

…And I haven't heard from her since.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Noah?" I continued to eat my ice cream.

"Mommy has a boyfriend."

"Yes?" I mentally crossed my fingers that she hadn't brought our son around some hot-headed drunk like in the past.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend, Daddy?"

I froze.

"I just haven't met someone, Noah."

"What ever happened to Sarah?"

"It didn't work out," I shrugged, wishing this conversation would end.

"I heard Mommy talking to her friends about how you're still in love with Anna-Bef. Who is Anna-Bef? And why did Mommy say that she ruined it?"

_Because she's got a big mouth…_

"Mommy didn't ruin it, Noah. _I _ruined it," I turned to look at him, "And Annabeth was my best friend when I was a kid, and I fell in love with her as we grew up. It didn't work out, and Annabeth moved to California."

Or was it the Caribbean?

Grover never really talked about it. He always changed the subject.

"That's pretty far away."

"Yeah, I know, Kiddo. I _know_."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Percy,**_

As I forced the soccer duffle, which was probably as big as my son, into the Prius trunk, I watched carefully as Noah buckled his seat belt and pressed play on a random episode of _Bubble Guppies_ on my iPad.

Six years ago, I probably would have laughed at my life.

A favorite teacher in a NYC private school.

A Prius.

Being a soccer dad.

And living at a cute little house in a part of NYC that felt like a suburb and was a long drive to work.

Noah had changed everything.

Aside from the loss of Annabeth, I had moved everything around for a baby. I left my modern, small apartment and moved to the apartment above my mom. My hot-beach-boy convertible was traded for a safe Prius, and I even changed up my job.

I left the Navy and went in to being a teacher. I got by. _Barely_, but I got by. When I got full custody, I needed more room in a bank account to raise a child. So, I began to work with Evain, a daughter of Athena who could write but couldn't think of good ideas. She made some series aimed at middle-schoolers about Will, a son of Posiedon who stumbled onto a world of trouble one summer. I got half, and she got the awards of being a good writer, with no one to share her glory in the spotlight.

My lips formed a proud smile as I forced the trunk down with the soccer equipment in it, and I couldn't help but make sure that Noah's seatbelt was safely secured before closing the backseat door.

Noah didn't take too much off a notice of me being so overprotective, lucky for me, and I began the long drive to the elementary school that JoJo had been so against our son going to. She thought that private schools were for little snobs who played lacrosse and got their first unlimited Amex when they were five. If it hadn't been for my mother talking about how I had been in private school and wasn't like that, Noah wouldn't be here.

Noah had almost run my cell phone dead with Angry Birds when we finally pulled into the drop-off.

I helped the little boy with the heavy duffle, who shouldered it like it weighted the same as his Spiderman lunch box. I wished him good luck and was trying to remember if I still had that Gym membership or not as I got back in the driver's seat and started towards the nearby teacher's parking at Alexander Middle School.

I was always one of the last teachers here with having to drop Noah off.

Undoubtedly, aside from the young sectary that was the daughter of some big donor here, I was the youngest on staff. And I was also the only one to have a young child. All of the other's children were either grown or in school here. And it felt weird to be the only one who ever had to bring in the permanently-here substitute because I had to take Noah home when he got sick and his mother was too busy to come pick him up.

I slid into my parking spot and hurried into the school.

"Mr. Jackson!"

I paused and grimaced.

"Good morning, Alice."

"Mr. Jackson," Alice pulled out a pink binder from her backpack, "I just finished the Odyssey, and I have a lot of questions."

Alice Oceana.

7th grade class president.

Leader of the model UN here.

Captain of the dance team and ballet prodigy.

The personal welcome wagon for everyone who comes to this school.

And sometimes the only one who isn't doodling in her binder during class.

But I really can't help but want to strangle her sometimes.

Every lesson, she has a question. No matter what the lesson is.

Or, if it is the great day that she doesn't have a question, she tracks me down to talk about Student Council, which I was tricked into running this year.

"And we can go over them in class," I told her as I neared the door with _7__th__ Grade English_ written in bold letters, with the tiny little _Perseus Jackson_ at the bottom.

"But, Mr. Jackson-"

"Alice, that is what class is for. And we're just reviewing this week, remember? That is what we're _supposed_ to be doing."

"But-"

"Alice, I will see you in an hour," I opened my classroom door.

"Mr. Jackson! I needed to talk about student council, too!"

"Which is why we are meeting today. I already have the note for Coach to let you miss PE to come to the meeting. Everything is fine, Alice."

Alice tried again, but a student heading towards her locker cut her off before I could.

"Good morning, Mr. Jackson."

"Morning, Ashley."

I barely have to learn their names. They're almost all named Ashley.

"Goodbye, Alice. I will see you in class," I smiled as I closed the door behind me, leaving the girl in the hallway.

I took a deep sigh of relief as I got ready for my first class, and I almost froze when my work computer pinged.

"If this is another email from Alice," I mumbled, trying to figure out why I couldn't get her punished for using her blackberry all the time to email the teachers when there was a kid currently in detention for three weeks because he said _Damn it_ in Gym class.

_One New Email_

I moaned as I opened up, and I froze.

_You have a new IM waiting for you!_

_-the Windows Live Team_

I glanced towards the clock before logging on to my IM account.

**WiseGirl210: Am I interrupting you at work yet?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Not yet. I've still got time before my students show up. **

**WiseGirl210: Did that Alice kid cause trouble today?**

**AtlanticBoy16: I cut her off before she could. But she'll start up again as soon as she comes in for class. Wish me luck.**

**WiseGirl210: Luck has been wished :D**

**AtlanticBoy16: How's work for you going?**

**WiseGirl210: It's not. Yesterday was my last day. Today I'm packing and saying goodbye to friends.**

**AtlanticBoy16: So, you decided where you're going?**

**WiseGirl210: New York**

My fingers stayed on the keyboard, and I stared at the computer in shock.

"Mr. Jackson?"

I looked up to see Timothy and all of my other students filing in.

"Are you alright?" he continued.

"Of course," I nodded, and I clicked out of the chat box.

_Lie number one of the day._

_**Annabeth,**_

I had to remind myself not to stare out of the window.

But it all felt so insane.

The sky was the borderline, the break between science and divine. The mist was so deluded here, I could see everything Rachel saw for the first time. I could see the Dragons zip around, and I returned the waves from the children of Zeus practicing their flight skills.

And, all the while, I knew that the captain didn't see any of it.

I stood up in the private plane belonging to Olympian Architectural Company and grabbed another Gatorade from the mini fridge that Malcolm had added.

As I pressed play on a movie, _Stardust_, I fished my laptop out of my case.

I logged onto the low signal for the WiFi in the plane, which I was supposed to only use for work problems.

But the company wasn't the only thing that I needed to work on.

I quickly drafted an email to Henry's mother, who had been calling, texting, and emailing me as soon as she found out that I had left.

I said the generic excuse.

Henry and I loved each other, but we weren't _in _love. And that it was better we realize that now before we had gotten married and maybe even had children.

And I took my time for the people I really cared about.

And I realized that I almost sent an email to _PercyJ16 _

Suddenly, I couldn't help but press a chat for Grover, using the special username I had for when I wasn't talking to AB.

**AnnabethChase: How is he?**

I hugged my knees and waited for a response.

_Perseus Jackson._

How long had it been since I had last heard from Percy?

Six years.

How long had it been since I had last talked about him?

Five years and 364 days.

But who's counting?

It had become an instant unwritten rule to _never_ bring Percy up to me.

No one did. Not Rachel. Not Grover. Not Juniper. Not Piper. _No one_.

I only allowed Chiron to bring him up and only little bits. Like saying his name in a sentence without even realizing it. But I loved Chiron too much to reprimand him.

This was the first time since the sudden break-up that I had consented someone bringing him up.

It took less than two minutes for Grover to respond to such an offer. It was obvious who I was talking about.

**GroverU: He's a teacher now… he and Evain wrote a book together, though she gets the actual glory about it.**

A book? Seaweed Brain helped write a book?

**AnnabethChase: Is he happy?**

I suddenly felt sick as I waited for Grover to respond.

Do I want him to be happy?

Or do I want him to be miserable?

I wasn't sure.

Percy deserved to be happy after all he had been through in his life, but there was still that painful wound inside me that prayed he had been hating his life ever since he had decided that it was better without me in it.

**GroverU: In ways.**

**AnnabethChase: What does that mean?**

**GroverU: He is the happiest person in the world in some ways. And he's depressed in others…**

**AnnabethChase: Others? Like ME others?**

Grover hesitated before responding, and I held my breath until he did.

Could Percy miss me?

Could this be our big RomCom moment, where I come home to New York and we live happily ever after following a few dramatic twists?

**GroverU: Kind of. He DOES miss you. A lot… it's just…**

**AnnabethChase: Just what?**

**GroverU: I can't be the one to tell you, Annabeth. I'm sorry. He has to do it.**

_GroverU has logged off._

Tell me what?

"We are about to make our descent into JFK. Please strap in."

_**XXXXXXXX**_

"I think you have the wrong address, Roby. I'm supposed to be moving into the apartment building."

Roby shook his head as he turned to look at me in the backseat.

"This is the place. You told your brother that you were ready to settle down, and you can't settle down in a hipsters apartment. This is for you," he pointed out the window.

I looked at Roby and then looked out the window.

"Let's get your bags," Roby, the driver who had been working for Olympian Architectural Agency basically since we had opened our first little office, was a good friend of mine. But I suddenly began to hate him as he began to unpack my bags and take them to the place I was supposed to be living.

This was _not_ the plan.

I was supposed to live in my high-rise penthouse. I was supposed to reconnect with old friends, and I already had made plans with Rachel and Mattie to go shopping for clothes and furniture since I had left most of mine in LA. I was supposed to be somewhere where I could take three steps to get to a coffee shop and finish out a muffin as I walked to work.

This was a thirty-minute drive to work, and the nearest coffee shop was by a playground and filled with mom's doing the brag-war.

As I got out of the car, I suddenly remembered building this.

I had been with Percy back then, and I had especially built this for us one day, when we got tired of the hustle and bustle of NYC and wanted a perfect mix of the two where we could maybe grow a family. Percy had been the only one to make me agree to having a baby.

And I had to admit that my vision had really taken shape.

There was a neighborly square in the center, with the small houses built around it. All of the doors had welcome mats with cute sayings. The walkways had flowers, and the floor in the welcome square was beautiful yet safe.

It was young enough but it was still there for people who were ready to settle down.

Any other time, I would have loved to have lived here.

To finally be somewhere that would let me have a dog instead of a gold fish.

To be somewhere where I have a motive to cook instead of just ordering room service.

To be in a place that feels like a _home_.

But it didn't feel right today.

I was supposed to be looking for a guy to share my bed, not a dog.

I was supposed to be ordering room service while working diligently.

I was supposed to be in a place where I could come home tanked with my friends and find ways to turn all of the modern furniture into a place for them to crash.

This was supposed to be my urban twenty stage that I never had.

Instead, my brother had sent me to grown up thirty stage.

Roby opened the door with a key for me, and I began to walk around as he brought my bags in.

I had to admit that it was gorgeous.

The kitchen was perfect for me, with the easy-to-clean wooden countertop that I loved and the modern bar stools. The little dining table was simple and just a black circle, with vintage chairs.

It was partially furnished, meaning I could handle it but still had stuff to do.

The sliding doors led off to a little fenced-in yard, but I started walking to the hallway, where two bedrooms sat.

I mentally began to plan turning the one with the great windows into an office, and I left the other alone in case I wanted a roommate. Roby was pulling everything in for me while I went to the master bedroom, and I couldn't help but go around flipping light switches.

And then I found it.

The blue curtains, which you would almost think was a wall, started to pull up to reveal a beautiful window stretching across the entire wall, showing the small backyard.

I was mentally talking myself into loving this place when I stepped up to look outside the window.

And then I saw the little boy.

I could only see him enough to know that he was there.

He was a cute little kid, with black hair and big blue eyes. He was kicking around a soccer ball, which bounced back from the fence like an opponent.

He was maybe five?

Maybe younger.

"Noah? Sweetie?"

The little boy abandoned the ball and smiled as a blonde started walking up to him, and she wrapped him up in her arms.

…_I want that_, I told myself.

Suddenly, I felt that want I hadn't felt since I had been with Percy.

The want to settle down, the want to find someone to open up to instead of just keeping to myself.

Henry had been my second chance.

When I had met Henry, I still had hope that I could move on from Percy, and I tricked myself into thinking I did for years. But I couldn't keep the illusion going, and I ended up packing my bags once again.

So, when my flight landed in JFK, I knew I wasn't going to find a new fiancé here.

I knew that a third chance wouldn't do any better than the first two.

But seeing that mom with her son made me want to try again.

"Where's Daddy?"

"He should be out any minute. Then we're going to get dinner, Noah."

Suddenly feeling sick, I quickly flipped the switch again to pull down the curtain.

* * *

_**Hmmm…. *Twirls Diabolical Moustache….that I **_**don't**_** have***_

_**Noah? Next door?**_

_***Sings opera style* DRAMA! **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Annabeth,**_

"Good morning, Annabeth," Aubry, my long-time New York assistant, smiled up at me as I walked into my office.

"Good morning, Aubry," I smiled weakly as I walked through the glass doors to my office.

Every member had their own office, each on their level of work.

As I took my seat at my desk, I glanced over the expensive computer screen to see the office.

Every employ stared at me.

As I thought back to it, I could still feel the warmth of the coffee in my hands as Henry clicked on the TV to see the _E!_ story on us. Still groggy from my cold medicine, I was relying on the caffeine to keep me from falling asleep on the couch. Henry wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to rest my head on his chest.

I still remembered the faint laugh that had formed as I realized that the perfect-looking couple on the screen looked nothing like the sick blonde and the covered-in-flour brunette sitting on the couch, though we were them.

No one had ever really bothered me too much until the story about Annabeth Chase, co-founder of the most successful Architecture company, and Henry, a super-star five-star chef that was known for being a genius in the kitchen. Suddenly, I was famous.

People magazine and US Weekly were fighting over who would have the best Annabeth Chase Wedding Article, and businesses everywhere were offering their services for free so that they could be known as _"I was in her wedding!"_ to possible customers

Though those times had gone and passed, I was still _the_ Annabeth Chase.

Everyone was scrambling to report on the breaking on the engagement.

But no one had been that fast.

But here I was.

Moving into a house alone. Back in New York without any sign of a companion. And, most importantly, without the engagement ring on my finger.

Everyone stared at me, whispering as they continued to stare at my hand.

I finally held up my hand, pushing my hair behind my ear and letting them see that I didn't have a ring.

Their eyes widened, and I logged onto my computer.

**WiseGirl210: Do you know that feeling when people are staring at you? That moment where you just want to scream at them to get a life and go back to work?**

I waited impatiently for the screen to say, _AtlanticBoy16 is Typing._

I missed AB, and I _needed_ to talk to him.

But then the IM came on.

The green light showed that he was online.

**AtlanticBoy16: You went to work, didn't you?**

**WiseGirl210: Are you one of those cyberstalkers? Are you using my computer's webcam to spy on me?**

**AtlanticBoy16: My son had to teach me how to use the Bluray in our house. And he's **_**six.**_** I barely know how to use my **_**own**_** webcam, much less hack into yours.**

**WiseGirl210: You have a son?**

**AtlanticBoy16: I never told you?**

**WiseGirl210: Definitely never brought up a son**

**AtlanticBoy16: He's six, Noah. Love him to death.**

I suddenly felt sick as I began to worry about Noah's mother.

**WiseGirl210: So, you're married? Or what?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Are you asking me if I'm single?**

**WiseGirl210: Maybe… ;-D**

**AtlanticBoy16: Not married. Noah was actually… how do I put this gently?**

**WiseGirl210: Not planned seems easier**

**AtlanticBoy16: Perfect. I was with someone else at the time, I loved her. Wanted to marry her. And then she left me for a long time. I got drunk, and, about a month later, I got a call saying that I was about to have a child. I left the girl, unable to believe what I had just done. By the time I realized I couldn't live without her, she was gone.**

**WiseGirl210: Gone?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Don't feel sorry for me. I deserved it a hundred times over.**

My heart melted, and I stared at the screen.

I thought back to my story. To my heartbreak.

What would I give to hear him say that? To see him crying because he still missed me after all of these years?

Everything.

Everything I've ever worked for.

I would give it all up just to know that he still loved me somewhere.

But did I love him?

I don't know…

**WiseGirl210: You have no idea what I would give to hear that from someone.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Henry?**

**WiseGirl210: The person who ruined me for Henry**

**AtlanticBoy156: Mind if I ask your story?**

I hesitated.

His story was a million times worse than mine, and I admit that I_ did_ need someone to tell about Percy. It was my dirty little secret. I didn't want people to know that I had been weak like that. That it hadn't just been a break-up but that I had run away like a coward.

But I didn't _know_ my story.

He was gone.

And I got on a plane.

That was just the end of it.

I changed my number. Threw away my old laptop. Deleted my Facebook. Changed emails.

I didn't want him to find me, so I made it impossible.

And, when it came time where I began to wish that he could find me again, he couldn't.

…I didn't even know if he was trying.

Why would he?

He left _me._ He decided that his life was best without me. Why would he go looking to bring me back in it?

Finally, I knew what to say.

**WiseGirl210: I ran away.**

I pressed send and something felt good about it.

Admitting that it had happened.

That I had some guilt in the reason I was no longer with my Seaweed Brain.

AB seemed to understand that this was something final for me, a big admission.

I was about to count down until the next IM came in when someone knocked on the door.

**WiseGirl210: My brother is coming in, and I'm supposed to be working. Bye.**

I quickly pressed send, and I pressed the exit button before AB could respond.

"Good morning, Benedict Arnold," I crossed my arms as my brother pushed the glass door open.

"You built that place!" Malcolm told me as he sat down in one of the chairs by the desk and began to twist his golden wedding band around.

Malcolm had made a deal with the girl he had been dating, Dana, who he had been in love with since he was a freshman in college. He would marry her as soon as they were both on their feet. She opened a bakery right outside of college and kept kidding him about it. He proposed on our first day in business, and they had a destination wedding by a lake that she had grown up fishing with when she was with her father.

Not long after that, I got a nephew, Samuel, who was six years old now. And, two years later, I got a little niece named Kate, who was so adorable that I sometimes wondered if they had picked up a daughter of Aphrodite at the hospital instead of their little girl.

They were the cutest kids, and I loved them to death.

I got to spoil them rotten, and I could send them home when they got too hyper.

"Doesn't matter, Malcolm."

"Well, have you gotten to meet the neighbors?"

A mischievous glint came into his beautiful grey eyes.

"This is the third time you've asked me. What are you planning, Malcolm?"

"Nothing," he smiled, though I knew he was lying, "I was just wondering if you met Christine."

"Christine?"

"All of the tenants say she is the sweetest thing when they are around each other. But I might have to kick out this _sweetest thing_ if I get another complaint from the tenants when they are alone," Malcolm smirked.

"I haven't met her yet."

"Lucky you. She found out I had kids, and I can't go over there without her piling me up with enough sweet treats to keep Samuel and Kate hyper until I send them to college."

"You've got to admit, it's not far away. Only twelve years for Kate."

Malcolm glared at me.

Ever since Kate was born and Malcolm realized that he had his own little baby girl, I had loved to tease them about how she would grow up soon, too. And how she would be getting her diploma from college. And how she would become successful and find someone perfect for her. About how she would have children, who I would adopt as my grandchildren since I would probably never have any.

Sometimes, that hurt though.

That I would never be teased. That I would never cry at my daughter's graduation . Or smile as I meet her future-husband. Or how I wouldn't give her mom-advice when it came time for her to start her own family.

But that didn't happen to people like me.

It happened to Malcolm.

I would die an old maid.

"Shut up. Just shut up."

He stood up to leave but I stopped him before he could.

"Malcolm? Speaking of little kids, do I live next to one?"

"Yeah, he's friends with Sam. They're both on the soccer team together. Why?" Malcolm asked as he looked back to me.

"Nothing, I just saw him when I moved in. And I wanted to know if he lived there," I pushed my hair behind my ear.

"He's not the only kid over there."

"Yeah… he just kind of looked… _familiar."_

_**Percy,**_

"So, did you hear about our new neighbor?" Noah asked as I set him up on the kitchen countertop and put a Spiderman band-aid on the scrape on his knee.

I swear this kid knows more adult gossip in one day than I know in a year.

"How did you know about our new neighbor?"

"I heard Mrs. Christine talking about it when she picked me up from school."

Mrs. Christine.

I loved the woman, more than any of the other tenants around here. They all secretly hated her, but I wasn't like them.

But it might have something to do with the fact that she was always around to help me with Noah.

Being a single parent was hard enough without having a psycho JoJo being around. She keeps saying that she loves our son, and I'm sure she does. But she doesn't really like him, she doesn't like having to skip parties because Noah has a cold or things like that. So, I'm always called in.

If it wasn't for Christine, I would have probably lost my job because I was always having to do things for JoJo when she had her time with him.

Today, I had something for Student Coucil that I couldn't get out off, and there was a big outbreak of lice, which meant they were sending Noah home before he got it. Christine, who honestly waited around at home for something like that to do, picked up Noah today and took him to the park.

"I hear she's really pretty, too. She has blond hair and blue eyes, kind of like Mommy."

"Noah Jackson, are you trying to set me up?"

Noah smiled his little sly smile that my mother said was inherited directly from me.

"Maybe…"

"I thought most kids didn't like it when their parent dated," I told him as I sat him down on the floor again, "And you don't like it when Mommy dates."

Noah shrugged.

"But you're not Mommy."

_Interesting logic…_

"I want you to be happy, Daddy," Noah told me as he began to untie his dirty cleats.

"I _am _happy, Noah," I told him as I took the shoes and set them in the laundry room to clean later.

"But you could be _happier!_"

I rolled my eyes as I threw the shoes into the sink and started walking to the kitchen table, where I had to push his soccer equipment around so that I could sit down.

Swimming had always been my sport.

I started on the team when I was seventeen, and I got a scholarship to college with it, with Annabeth's help with grades of course. And my discipline with swimming had helped me when I joined the navy.

So, when JoJo had signed up Noah for soccer, without my knowledge, I was fine with it.

I didn't know how much he would take to it. As a grandson of Posiedon, I always pictured him liking something involving the water. But he loved soccer like I loved the water.

"Would you be happier with Annabeth?"

I froze and stared at my son as he took a seat across from me.

Annabeth.

Now that he knew, he wouldn't stop asking about her.

What had she looked like?

Was she funny?

Was she smart?

Did she have a weird laugh like Mommy?

"You left her because of me, didn't you?"

Now that was a question I hadn't prepared for.

One day, I knew he would piece it together. He'd realize that he had been conceived right about the time that I left Annabeth.

But I always thought it would be when he went to Camp.

When he saw the pictures of his dad looking so happy with some girl. When people asked if his dad was _the_ Percy Jackson. When he found out who I had been before I was his dad. When he saw the life I could have had if I _hadn't_ been his dad.

Since the day he had been born, I had planned the speech I would give him. I would tell him that I loved him and that it hadn't been in the Fate's design for me to be with Annabeth, and it was okay, even if it hurt sometimes. And I would tell him that it didn't matter if I had Annabeth anymore because I had him, and he was everything to me.

But those words escaped me now.

All I could do was stare.

Which he took as a yes.

"So, if I had never been born, you would still be with Annabeth?"

I continued to stare, unable to breathe.

"And then you'd be happier?" Noah's eyes began to water.

"Don't say that Noah," I quickly got up from the chair and got down on my knees in front of the little boy.

"Why not? It's true. If I hadn't been born, you wouldn't have left Annabeth. And then you could still be with her. And you two could have gotten married. And you could have had another son!"

"No, no," I quickly told him, wrapping my arms around him, and he buried his face into my shoulder, "I love you, Noah. I love Annabeth, I'll admit it. But you mean more to me than a million Annabeth's."

Noah looked up at me, his blue eyes still watering.

"I wouldn't change one thing. If it meant not having you, I wouldn't change anything, even if it_ did_ mean losing Annabeth. Okay, Noah?"

"I love you, Daddy," he wrapped his arms tightly around my neck.

"I love you, too, Noah."

He smiled in my shoulder, and I hugged him tightly for as long as he would let me before he did the _"I'm a big boy, Daddy!"_ thing that I hated so much.

And, when he inevitably wriggled out of my arms, Noah told me that he was going to get started on his homework. When I offered to help him, he reminded me that it was math, and I took that as my sign to just go to my office.

My dyslexia was almost under control, but helping Noah with his homework always took me so long that it wasn't worth it for either of us.

As I logged onto my computer, I ignored the email from Grover.

Every time he left New York, he emailed and called us all every day, feeling guilty for being gone. It was sweet when he sent things to Juniper and all, but it was annoying when he went over the top, which he _always_ did. But I still found it funny when I realized that he talked more to me when he was away than when he was here.

His email would undoubtedly be about Juniper.

She wanted kids, and Grover wasn't sure what he wanted yet. All he did know was that he didn't want to wake up for diaper changes all of the time.

As his best friend, I was burdened with him talking about it all the time.

As I logged into a different _Window's Live_ account, I thought about my last message with WG.

About telling her about Noah.

My son had always been different. While I trusted WG with my secrets, I didn't like to talk about my son. If this was a crazy internet killer, I couldn't-and _wouldn't_- talk about my son. But, when I had accidentally brought up Noah, I didn't feel guilty. It felt normal, as if I honestly _should_ have done it long ago.

After seeing that she wasn't online, I drafted an email.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**I just figured out why people don't bring up their exes to their children.**

**Noah's mom brought up my ex in front of him, and he's been asking about her since. Finally, I told him about how I left her, leaving about that it was because of him, and that she was gone before I could realize I needed her. He's been asking about her since until today when he was trying to set me up with my new neighbor. And, after forever of him asking questions, he realized that we broke up because of him, and he asked me if I would be happier without him.**

**I almost died.**

**I'm pretty much still want to cry after that.**

**-AB**

While waiting for a response, I logged onto my school account and went back to putting the student's grades online with their little things about them for their parents.

Alice Oceana- Perfect, needs to calm down more

Theo- Needs to take less notes and listen to it really

I was in the middle for typing my notes about Walker Peterson when my IM buzzed at the bottom of my screen.

**WiseGirl210: That sucks. What did you tell him?**

**AtlanticBoy16: That I wouldn't change a thing. Even if it did mean losing her, I loved him and that was all that really mattered.**

**WiseGirl210: You're a good dad.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Thanks, sometimes I worry about it though. I didn't really have a dad until I was twelve, when my favorite Camp Counselor took me under his wing.**

**WiseGirl210: Noah's lucky. When I was his age, my dad never said anything like that. He needed to though. But he was too young when he had me, and my mom left after I was born. I could always tell that he would have traded me for my mom if he could. It wasn't until I was about fourteen that we really got along and he began to love me.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Now **_**that**_** really sucks.**

**WiseGirl210: There were people there for me though. It's not like it was **_**completely**_** horrible**

"Knock, knock, Jackson."

I typed something back to WG, telling her that I had to go because my son's babysitter was here and that I needed to talk to her.

As I clicked the website away and looked to the door.

"You know my name is Perseus," I smiled as I opened the door for Christine.

Christine was an aging woman.

Her curly pixie cut was grey, with a few strands of black here and there. Her skin was pale and botox-fresh. Christine's eyes were a soft brown, like the chocolate icing she would feed to Noah when he came over while she was baking the deserts she always brought to the neighbors. Her lips had wrinkles from where she always smiled, and I sometimes wondered if her face was permanently etched like that.

She dressed simply. An old-timey floral dress. Comfortable flats. No jewelry other than her diamond wedding ring, her oversized sapphire engagement ring from decades ago, and a locket with _For You to Wear Another Twenty Years, Robert_ engraved on the back. She also wore an old apron that her granddaughter, Alexis, had made for her when she was in the house.

Christine was playing with her locket as she smiled up at me, being only 5'4.

She didn't like my name.

She thought it was too pagan for her to call me, but I loved to tease her about it.

Christine called me Jackson, always saying that, since she had adopted me as her metaphorical son, I needed to have a nice good-boy name like Jackson.

"And you _know_ that you're name is _also_ Jackson."

"What's up, Christine?" I leaned on the doorway.

"I'm taking some brownies to the neighbor. I was wondering if you wanted to come meet her, too."

"If you're going to keep trying to set me up, I'm taking your key back."

Christine playfully waved her flower keychain with the key to my apartment in front of my face to annoy me.

"Are you coming or not?"

"No, I've got some work to do."

"It'll still be here when you come back."

"And _she'll_ still be here."

"Do you want to come or not?"

I shook my head.

"You're sure?"

"I will take some brownies though."

"I don't have any blue ones."

"I don't care."

Christine raised her perfectly-tweezed eyebrows.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story."

"I left some brownies for you in the kitchen. For Noah honestly. I ran out of food coloring," Christine nodded towards the kitchen, "They have peanut butter in them, too."

"Thank you, Christine."

She smiled and kissed my cheek, like I was her child and she was leaving me to babysit my little brother.

"Do you want me to pick up Noah on Friday? Alexis is coming over, and they get along so well."

Alexis was a cute little kid.

Curly blonde hair. Bright brown eyes. Freckles. And she dressed in little vintage dresses and Mary Janes. Noah didn't mind her. He didn't love her, nor did he hate her. But she loved Noah.

"Nah, he's spending the weekend with his friend, Sam. He'd kill me if I broke that off."

"I'll give Alexis his regards."

"I'm sure you will."

"Goodbye, Jackson."

"Bye, Chrissy."

Christine stopped by the archway to leave, and she narrowed her brown eyes at me.

She '_tsk_'ed and waved her finger.

"If you keep up with this, I'm going to have to ground you, Young Man."

I smiled and waved goodbye, and he heated to the door to Noah's room to tell him goodbye before she left.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Annabeth,**_

_Ding-Dong._

Setting my pearl earrings down on the kitchen counter, I ruffled my hair as I came to the door, knowing that there were really only three people who would be coming here.

But what I found at the door was not at all what I expected.

A small woman smiled up at me, her soft brown eyes the same color as the tray of brownies in her hand. As she smiled at me, her wrinkles tightened, showing how much Botox she had, and I am one hundred percent that she was giving me a once-over.

"I'm Christine. You must be the new neighbor," she told me, and I nodded.

The famous Christine.

"Annabeth, Annabeth Chase," I nodded.

"The girl on TV?"

Before I could answer, her eyes drifted down to my hand.

"Oh no, you can't be," she smiled with relief, seeing I didn't have an engagement right.

"Actually, I _am_," I pushed my hair behind my ear, "We broke up."

"I am so sorry," she covered her heart, and I noticed that she actually was sincere.

"Oh it's fine. It's better that it happened now, before the wedding, you know?"

"Of course," she nodded, patting my hand, and my eyes drifted down to the brownies.

She knit her eyebrows in confusion, but then she looked down at the tray. Christine's eyes widened, and she looked back up to me apologetically.

"I forgot while I was here! I wanted to bring you some brownies!"

"Thank you so much," I was about to take them from her when she moved to get in.

I moved around to let her in the doorway, and she quickly came to sit the tray on the countertop, jabbering away as she unwrapped the tray for the brownies.

_I think I just realized everybody secretly hates her…_

"I asked our neighbor, Jackson, to come meet you since you two are so close in age. But he had to keep working on grades."

"Grades?"

"He's a teacher, middle school English I think. I hear he's really good at it, too. He's so good with his son that I'm sure he's just wonderful with his students," Christine told me, smiling as she turned back to look at me.

"Wait, he's Noah's dad?"

"You know about Noah?"

"My nephew is good friends with him, and my brother was telling me about him."

"It's a sad story. When Noah was born, his mom demanded full custody, and it took years for him to finally get custody of Noah. And, now, his mom doesn't seem to understand that she gets _any custody_. She's barely there for him, and, sometimes, even I have to take care of Noah because he is working and she says she's too busy," Christine shrugged.

"Wait, he's single?"

She stared at me.

I realized that she had been telling me all this because she was trying to set us up.

"No, I mean, I saw Noah's mom here. And I guess I just thought…" I blushed, hoping she didn't think that I meant that he shouldn't be single if he's so great.

"Oh no, Jackson makes JoJo come here to see him a lot for Noah's sake."

"That's good," I nodded, not sure how to respond to this.

As if on cue of me not knowing what to say, my cell phone started ringing.

"I'll let you go," Christine nodded toward the cell phone, and I smiled thanks as I reached for the silver device.

_Malcolm._

More work?

"Hello?" I asked into the phone, pulling myself onto the countertop and taking a bite of the brownies.

"Annabeth, hey. Are you doing anything this Friday?"

"No…why?"

"Dana and I just remembered that we have this thing in DC, and we told Sam that his friend, Noah, could come over for the weekend. And Sam was looking forward to having Noah over."

I moaned, realizing where this was going.

"You want me to babysit three kids, one I've never met, and one who is four for an entire weekend?"

"It's Kate and Sam. They love you, and you love them. And you all get along so well. Plus, Noah is just a wonderful kid. You'll barely see him, too. He spends most of his time with Sam when they're together. You just have to take them to the park a few times. I promise it's easy."

I groaned and finished the brownie.

"Who says I wasn't thinking about doing something with Rachel over the weekend?"

"You said you didn't have any plans."

"_Yet_."

"You're going out with Rachel? The oracle Rachel?"

I closed my eyes tightly, biting my lip.

"Fine."

"You'll watch them?"

"Sure."

"Great! Okay, so you can just bring your stuff here and sleep in our room or the guest room. And we've already gotten everything ready for Noah, and Kate is always so easy to babysit."

I nodded again, knowing that Kate was my little angel.

I loved Sam, but Kate had always secretly been my favorite.

"Do you think his dad will be okay with me babysitting Noah when he doesn't know me?"

"Listen, Noah and Sam will have a fit if their weekend was called off. His dad will be fine with it if he knows what's good for him."

_**Percy,**_

"Noah, are you ready yet?" I called out as I flipped the French Toast.

"Almost!" Noah called out, and I rolled my eyes as I continued to make breakfast.

Noah was a lot like me, but I guess that's only natural since I'm really the only parent he has taking care of him. And he has the same excuses in the morning that I used to use with my mom.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember that JoJo really was his mom since they were so different. The only thing he seems to have gotten from his mom is his blue eyes. Everything else was either me or something all his own.

But he definitely hadn't inherited his kind heart from his mother.

As I put the French Toast on a plate, I was thinking about what I was going to do this weekend without Noah.

It's sad when your six year old son has more of a social life than you do, but it was something I was used to by now.

The small social life I had was in down season since most of my friends were gone.

Grover was on his regular mission work.

Jason was back in California for a while.

Leo was teaching some engineering class and was always busy with that.

Frank and Hazel were in Canada for a month.

And I was stuck here.

I had _parent friends_, but they were just as busy as I usually was on the weekends.

"Morning, Daddy," Noah smiled, positioning himself on the barstool as he waited for breakfast.

_Oh, he really was almost ready._

"Hey, Noah," I ruffled his hair as I put the plate down in front of him.

He smiled at the French Toast, his favorite food of all time, and I felt sick as I realized that the happy smile on Noah's face was something I had seen before.

It had been Annabeth's favorite food, too, and she used to light up like a Christmas tree every time I made it for her.

While Noah had abandoned asking me about Annabeth, it didn't make a difference because I was still thinking about Annabeth.

Once I had opened up about her, the wound was opened as well, and I suddenly couldn't block off the memories of her like I used to. And one memory in particular hurt the most.

The way she looked at me when I left.

The way she couldn't decide if she wanted to run after me or throw a dagger at me.

The way she couldn't decide if she should steam or cry.

But she had no trouble showing the look of betrayal, even if she couldn't decide on anything else.

"Knock, knock."

I froze at the familiar voice, and Noah's face looked shocked as he looked up to the door.

He looked back at me for conformation, and I nodded.

Noah's smile spread wider, and I came to the door to see JoJo.

I had to admit that she was pretty, even if I kind of hated her.

She had bright blue eyes, the same as our son, and she had a pretty face. But she didn't seem to know that she was pretty.

She put herself down, and she tried to cling to her youth adamantly, though she was only thirty.

And her clothes were that of a twenty year old.

Her skinny jeans were at least two sizes too small. Her loose tee shirt was for some band I had never heard of-and never wanted to hear of-, and she was decked out in bangles and plastic bracelets for random charities. And, to completely hold on to her college years, she had an orange feather clip-in.

"Morning, Perce," she smiled weakly, toying with her bracelet nervously.

"Morning, JoJo," I opened the door more for little Noah to be able to see her.

"Mommy!"

JoJo's face lit up as she looked at him.

She wasn't good at picking him up when she was supposed to or anything, but I had to admit that she was great with him when she was here.

"Noah!" she smiled as he hugged her, and she picked the little boy up to hug him more.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked, staring up at his mom like she was a goddess.

He knew his mom wasn't very reliable, something I wish he could forget, and he was often upset that he didn't get to see his mom much, though he luckily didn't blame me. But, when she was here, he loved her to death. If he was around her all the time, I knew he would quickly learn to hate her, but I liked him loving his mom.

I didn't want him to become one of those kids who disowns their mother because they weren't there for them when they were kids.

"I'm taking you to school, Noah," she smiled, "Since I'm going to be out of town next week."

I tried not to notice as Noah's face fell as he heard that his mom wouldn't be there to hang out with him this weekend.

"You ready to go, Kiddo?"

"I haven't finished breakfast yet," Noah told her. Usually, he would have quickly run off to spend more time with her.

But this _was_ French Toast.

"Neither have I," she set her hand on her stomach as she put him down, "Do you have any extra, Percy?"

I nodded and smiled.

"If you like French Toast."

"Yeah, I love it," JoJo lied.

Her breakfast always consisted of oatmeal and some bland whole wheat bagel, something I had worried about when she was pregnant with Noah.

"Great."

_**Annabeth,**_

"Aunt Annabef!"

Kate smiled as she left her older brother and ran towards me.

Kate was a cute kid without a doubt. Her light brown hair had perfect natural highlights, and she had her dad's grey eyes. She had her mother's tan skin, and she was pretty tall for a four year old.

While Kate looked like her mom, Sam was like a clone of his father. From his curly blonde hair to his sense of 'style', it was all Malcolm. When he had been born, Dana and I had joked around about if Sam had just been Malcolm's kid or if her DNA was in there _at all._

I thought about reprimanding Kate for leaving her brother when her parents had given her strict rules to stay with her brother when they were leaving school, but I decided against it when I saw how happy she was to see me.

"Hey, Katy-Cat," I told her as I swooped her up into a hug, and she giggled.

"Why are 'ou here instead of Daddy and Mommy?"

I smiled.

"I'm watching you and your brother this weekend," I pushed her curly hair out of her eyes.

"'Oah's coming over for ze the weekend."

Another thing I loved about Katy.

She can't say _The_.

She can only say _'__Ze._

One day, I'll probably have to stop her from doing that.

But it's too adorable for now.

"He is, isn't he?"

She smiled to me.

"Do you like Noah?" I asked, suddenly worried that Malcolm had tricked me into a sibling war about Noah.

"He's okay, I 'uess," she shrugged.

"Just okay?"

"Well, I don't weally 'ow him. He spends all of his time with Sam 'hen he's 'ith us," Kate shrugged.

I was about to say something else when I sat a little blonde boy staring up at me.

"Hey, Aunt Annabeth."

I smiled as I set Kate down and smiled at Sam.

"Hey, Cutie," I kissed the top of my head, and I ignored how he moaned something about how I was embarrassing him in front of his friends.

And Kate snickered.

"Hey, where's Noah?"

"He had to go pick up his cell phone from the office."

I nodded and looked out for the kid.

"'Ook! There's 'Oah!" Kate pointed towards a child, and I have to admit that he was the last person I thought would have been Noah.

Is it possible for a six year old to be handsome?

Well, Noah proved that it was.

His hair was raven black, offsetting his bright blue eyes. Instead of his preppy school uniform, he wore a soccer uniform, shoving his cleats into his green book bag. And there was something about him.

Like I had seen him before…

_Must be a half-blood or something…_

Seeing us, Noah broke out into a run towards us.

"Hey, Sam," Noah gave Sam a high five.

"This is my aunt, Annabeth," Sam nodded to me, and Noah's eyes widened.

"She's weally fun!" Kate told him happily.

"Hi, Noah."

Noah seemed to be thinking something over, but he finally pushed it off.

"Hi."

"You can call me Annabeth."

"Hi, Annabeth."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Annabeth,**_

_High Score!_

_Annabeth!_

The TV blinked the same message over and over again while Sam complained about having lost _Just Dance_ to his Aunt, but I was too busy high-fiving Kate to take any notice of Sam.

"So much for being the best!" Noah laughed Sam, and Sam narrowed his eyes as he ate his slice of pizza.

I loved being the fun aunt.

Malcolm and Dana could break it to the kids that they had already had pizza that week and that they should eat the healthy food in the kitchen, but I got to order all of the delicious-tasting and unhealthy food that they wanted. Malcolm could be the one to tell Kate that she needed to go to bed earlier than her brother, but I let her stay up longer than her brother if she wanted to.

And Dana and Malcolm told Sam that he shouldn't brag about being the best.

I stopped that by beating him at his own game.

And I had to admit that I liked Noah, too.

He was a fun little kid, and he was so adorable that I wanted to pick him up and hug him ever five seconds, though I didn't dare embarrass Sam _that much_.

I've vowed to embarrass Sam, but not to that degree.

"Go Aunt Annabef!" Kate giggled.

I smiled thanks to Kate, and I glanced back to Sam, who was still sulking.

"I'm kinda tired? Wanna watch a movie?"

Sam looked up at me, silently asking if this meant I was going to make him watch a chick flick.

"You guys can pick out the movie.

Sam smiled and looked to Noah, who shrugged.

"Sure," Sam nodded, and I left them to all fight over which movie they wanted to watch.

I slid into the guest bedroom of the condo Malcolm had bought when he found out Dana was pregnant with Sam.

Sometimes, well a lot of time, I felt jealous about this life Malcolm had built, the one I was supposed to have, too.

He got it right, he didn't make mistakes like I did. He found the perfect girl. He married her. He had two children and a successful career.

I had been on the same path as him, if anything I was supposed to be the one who went down it first. But, somehow, my path got screwed up. Somehow, I ended up being the one alone, the one you called to babysit because you knew she didn't have any plans for the weekend.

I tried not to think about that as I powered on my laptop and logged onto my _Windows Live_ account.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**Babysitting.**

**I love it, especially when I'm babysitting my niece, Kate. But do you know that feeling when you are sitting there and you realize that someone else got it right? That you probably should be just like them? That you should have gotten married to the perfect person that you met almost immediately? That you should have the little children to babysit and that you should be out on date night? **

**Am I just babbling or does that make sense?**

**-WG**

I pressed send on the email and waited for the response while still listening for the kids to see if their fighting over to watch The Addams Family or Baby Geniuses had escalated into more than just moaning about how the others wouldn't agree on the movie they wanted to watch.

I was about to go downstairs and use my _I'm-the-Adult-So-I-Pick_ card when my laptop pinged with a new email.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**Not babbling.**

**I'm a single dad, so every time I go to pick up my son from school, I think about that. And this is New York, so it's not like I'm the odd man out by being a single dad. But their moms are actually there for their kids. Those parents fight over letting the mom have**_** more**_** custody. In my case, we're fighting over her wanting **_**less**_** custody.**

**My son doesn't ask me why things are like they are, but I know he wonders why his mom doesn't want to spend time with him. And I keep watching him when he's around his best friend. I know my son is wondering, "Why doesn't my mom always come pick me up from Soccer Practice?" or "Why aren't my parents married and happy together?"**

**And I don't know what to say.**

**-AB**

I was about to type my reply when the fighting downstairs between the kids suddenly died down, and Kate yelled out that they had finally picked a movie.

I exited out of the website, knowing that Sam would probably come in here and read it if I didn't, and I was pulling my hair into a ponytail as I came down the stairs.

I stopped on the third step from the bottom when I saw the movie that Sam was holding as their choice.

I had faced a lot of things.

From break-ups to Titan Wars, I had stared it all in the face.

But, as I stood at the top of the steps, I began to feel fear take over me.

It was parent's worst nightmare.

Yes… it was _Spongebob._

_**Percy,**_

Washing the toothpaste out of my toothbrush, I looked back at my cell phone.

No new text messages.

I knew it was a sign that Noah wasn't having fun when he would stop to text me while he was with a friend, but I wished he would.

As a parent, I didn't show Noah that I was overprotective. My mom did, and it usually made me want to rebel against that. So, I decided to follow the parenting book's advice and let him be his own person as he grew up.

But not showing it didn't mean that I _wasn't_ over protective.

Noah was all I had, and he was the only thing I got to focus my worries into.

I tried to put everything into my career so I didn't smother him, but I had finished all of my work by now and had nothing to do but sit around.

Usually, I would have been overjoyed to have nothing to do instead of how I was usually busy.

But I was nervous about who was taking care of my son.

Malcolm and I hadn't been friends when we were younger, and we weren't friends when Annabeth and I broke up. But, when Noah was partnered with an older kid to help him along with his first year on the soccer team, Noah and Sam had become best friends in the blink of an eye.

So, Malcolm and I had to be nice to each other.

And Malcolm put my mistakes aside when it came to Noah because I did it, not Noah.

But one of Malcolm's many sisters were watching Noah.

And I wasn't so sure they saw it the same way.

Annabeth was their big sister, the one who had always been there. And they don't exactly see the whole story of how I was an idiot, got drunk when Annabeth broke up with me, and made a mistake. They see a kid and immediately think that I cheated on her, and it burns in them as they go through their memories of us together and see if there were any signs that I was cheating.

And they'll probably make up some because I _wasn't cheating._

I quickly pushed off that thought and started to walk into my room, feeling around in my end table for a bottle of Tylenol PM to make me finally go to sleep.

But then my hand felt over a cold, metal circle.

I pulled it out and dropped it out of shock.

The ring.

"_I think I like yours more," Annabet__h smiled as she slid the ring with, _Percy_, engraved on it back onto her finger, and I kissed the top of her head._

_It had just started raining, leaving us to repeatedly ride the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World to keep us from getting soaked. To celebrate not only being free from high school but also with new found freedom from our parents, we had decided that a road trip from New York to Orlando, FL, was in order._

_As our last day in Disney World, we ended up getting the little rings in Adventure Land. I got mine with my name and her with her name._

_But, somehow, she had gotten a hold of my ring and wouldn't let it go._

"_Keep it," I shrugged, and Annabeth smiled as she slid the ring with _Annabeth_ off her thumb._

"_Then you keep mine."_

"_That's a deal," I smiled as I put the ring on my finger, and she snuggled closer to me as the ride began._

I ran my hand over the eight letters of the small silver ring.

I had kept it though I hadn't realized it.

I always wore it somehow, whether it was on my hand or on my Camp Half Blood necklace, and I just hadn't noticed that I was wearing it when I left Annabeth.

And, when I did notice, I couldn't get myself to stop wearing it.

At some point, it had even become a toy for Noah, always reaching up to play with the ring on my necklace when he was a baby.

When we moved here, I put it in my end table and forced myself to forget about it.

As I held the dusty old ring, I continued to think about all of the times I had worn it and how many times Annabeth had worn my ring. I remembered that Annabeth wore it when she had to go out of town for business, and how she kept it in her pocket during meetings for good luck.

What was her good luck charm now?

I finally couldn't help it.

I had to at least see if I could find her, or at least know how she was.

…_if she was happy_.

I logged onto my laptop and pressed the button to take me to Bing.

_Annabeth Chase,_ I quickly typed in, and the finishers came up.

Annabeth Chase Mt. Olympus Architectural Company

Annabeth Chase and Malcolm Moore

My cursor hesitated over the final option.

Annabeth Chase E! Report

She was on _E!_?

I pressed the link and came up with a video on Youtube.

"_After four years, Annabeth Chase, co-founder of Mt. Olympus Architectural Company, and long time boyfriend, Henry Alexander, have __finally decided to make it official and are enaged!"_

The video continued on about the two of them. Pictures of them happy together as a couple danced on the screen, including a picture of her engagement ring. Then the interviews of the happy couple about how they had been together so long and decided that they were ready to take the next step together. And then came the final part that hurt the most.

"_The couple met four years ago when Annabeth, having just moved to LA, was hired by the restaurant Henry wor__ked at, and he was assigned to help her design the five star kitchen. What was supposed to take three months of them working together soon became four years of dating and the rest of their lives together."_

I stared as the video ended.

She was…engaged.

She'd be married this December.

To Henry Alexander…

As I exited out of Youtube and came back to my search, I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

Annabeth hadn't just moved on, she was getting married!

Looking through the different links about Annabeth, I began to think about Henry.

Was he like me?

Or completely different?

Was she happier?

Did he really love her?

I was beginning to feel sick about the two of them when I clicked the button for the most recent thing to come up in my search instead of the most relevant.

_Annabeth and Henry broke up!_

_Annabeth Chase moved, leaving Henry in LA!_

_Annabeth Chase walking around without the engagement ring!_

And then finally I found it.

_Henry Alexander Changes Relationship Status to Single_!

My eyes widened as I pressed the link to the blog, showing the picture of how all of Henry's friends had given their condolences on Facebook after seeing that he was single again.

Annabeth Chase.

Single.

Could this be what I was waiting for?

After six years of having lost Annabeth for what seemed like would be forever, could I seriously get her back again?

And then I thought back to what she had said in her interview for _E!_ after announcing her engagement.

"I've been hurt before, so I was really hesitant to trust Henry," I repeated under my breath.

Hurt before.

Hurt by _me_ before…

_**Annabeth,**_

I pulled a pillow over my head, trying to block out the flashes of lighting coming in my window.

Percy had always been afraid of the lightning because it reminded him that he was at the gods' disposal, and he used to always toss and turn when there was thunder at night. I had gotten so used to sliding into his arms and calming him down that I had learned to have trouble sleeping when there was lighting.

And tonight had turned into a raging storm.

I was about to get up and see if either Malcolm had sleeping medication around or if AB was online, but then my door peaked open, flooding light into my room.

_Sam._

Kate loved the rain, but Sam had always been afraid of thunder.

"Annabeth?"

Pushing the pillow aside, I sat up in bed to look at the little boy at the door.

_Noah._

"Noah?"

_Crash!_

Noah flinched as the thunder boomed again.

"Um, can I sleep in here?"

I continued to stare.

"I'm scared of lightning, and I usually go sleep in my dad's bed when I get too scared," Noah nervously told me, ruffling his hair, "I mean, I can go back to bed…"

"I'm kind of afraid of lightning, too. I'd love some company," I cut him off, smiling at him.

Noah's lips formed a thankful smile as I pulled up the covers on the other side of the bed for him to get in.

"Do you have any children, Annabeth?" Noah asked as he settled in on the other side of the bed, and I had to admit that it felt nice to have someone take up part of the bed, even if it was a kid.

"No," I shook my head, "Why do you ask?"

"You're just good with kids," Noah told me, setting his head down on the pillow, "You remind me a lot of my dad, you know."

"I do?"

Noah nodded.

"I don't know what it is, but you remind me of him," Noah explained.

"Do you like your dad?"

"Yeah. Sometimes, I don't like my mom, but I love my dad."

"You don't like your mom?"

Noah hesitated.

"She forgets about me."

My eyes widened, not sure how to handle this.

"My dad says she doesn't but that she has a busy job, but I know she does. I can tell that my dad is happy that he had me, but my mom makes me feel like an accident sometimes," Noah told me, his bright blue eyes looking up to me.

"My mom left."

Noah stared at me in shock.

"When I was born, she dropped me off with my dad, and I didn't see her much after that. And my dad kinda made me feel like an accident, too."

He smiled faintly, like he was happy to know that he wasn't alone with having a bad relationship with their parents.

"But, as I got older, my dad and I worked it out, and I forgave my mom for not being there," I told him, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Noah nodded.

"I like you, Annabeth."

"I like you, too, Noah."

"Mrs. Christine is trying to set you up with my dad."

"Yeah, I know," I laughed, remembering how obvious Christine had made it.

"Can you and my dad get together so that I can have you as a new mom?"

I laughed.

"I'll think about it, hmm?" I smiled, and Noah nodded, slightly laughing, "But I'm always here if you need to talk, okay, Noah?"

"Thanks."

Noah closed his blue eyes, and I pulled the blankets closer to him, kissing the top of his head.

Thinking he was asleep, I was closing my eyes when Noah's eyes opened, suddenly thinking about anything.

"Are you from California?"

"Why?"

"I just heard about a girl named Annabeth from California, and I was wondering if you were her."

"I grew up here and in California, but I just moved back to New York from LA."

Noah stared at me, as if trying to decide if I could be this Annabeth that he had heard about.

_Where would he have heard about me?_ I wondered.

I was about to ask where he had heard about this Annabeth when Noah finally shook his head.

"You're not her."

_**XXXXXX**_

"Who invented this thing?" I mumbled under my breath as I tried to free Kate from her car seat.

I had allowed Sam and Noah to run ahead to the soccer field, where I was supposed to drop Noah off with his dad, but I was beginning to regret that now that I was stuck trying to get Kate out of the safety device.

Malcolm had invented the art of smothering.

Dana knew that her children were their own people and were New Yorkers.

But Malcolm seemed to forget that his children weren't complete idiots and had strict rules about taking care of the children.

At the top of the list was not letting the kids out of your sight during a busy day.

Finally, my fingers found the right button, and Kate giggled as I picked her up, swinging Dana's bag over my shoulder.

It was the _Mom Bag_.

Until now, I had underestimated the powers of the tote bag.

My purse at home could carry my wallet, my keys, cell phone, and a few breath mints.

This bag could carry all of the kid's electronics, including the many chargers that went with them, a soccer ball and a paint of cleats, extra clothes for the kids in case of an accident, a first aid kid, and just about everything you could ever need when you're around kids.

Plus, it was so heavy that you could keep in shape just by carrying it around.

Kate yawned as she snuggled closer into my worn tee shirt, using her stuffed owl as a pillow.

"Can we go 'ack to sleep after we drop of 'Oah?" Kate asked hopefully, peering up at me.

I nodded and kissed her curly brown hair.

"Sounds like a plan, Katy-Cat."

Careful not to move Kate since she was about to fall asleep, I started making my way through the children park to the soccer field where Sam and Noah were supposed to be.

The park was really the closest park that met the requirements for what each of the kids wanted in a park, but it was forever away from the condo. From here, I could almost see my apartment, and I was beginning to wonder if it would be so bad if we went to go to sleep in my apartment since we were so tired.

"So, have you ever seen Noah's dad?" I asked.

I hadn't talked to him or seen him before, and I was worried that I was about to run into a parent like Malcolm.

"Yeah," Kate nodded, yawning again, "He's weally handsome.

That narrowed it down, I guess.

Not by much.

Finally seeing Noah and Sam, I quickened my pace towards the soccer field.

And then I saw someone walk onto the field.

"There's 'Ercy!" Kate giggled happily, wriggling out of my grasp to run to see him.

Who's 'Ercy?

I ran after my four year old niece, struggling with the mom bag.

"Kate!" I called after her.

But she didn't give me any attention as she ran to the soccer field, where the man was scoring a goal and Noah was high-fiving him.

Finally, I caught up to Kate, and I still didn't look up to see who the boys were playing with.

"Don't do that to me, Katherine," I kissed the side of her head.

Kate nodded solemnly, knowing it was bad news when I called her by her real name, but then pointed in her usual bubbly manner towards the guy who was struggling to pick up the heavy blue duffle full of soccer equipment that the boys had carried easily as they brought it up to the field.

"'_Ercy!_" she smiled.

"Hey, Katy, how's my girl doing?"

I froze.

"'Tis is Annabef!" Kate pointed towards me, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he froze, too.

Biting my tongue, I finally looked up.

This had been my nightmare for the last four years.

But he looked like a dream.

His black hair was in perfect shape, showing off his bright green eyes. His Olive skin was tanned from the summer that had just ended, and he was dressed in that _Teacher's Chic/Nautical_ Style that he had always been able to perfect.

"Percy," my voice was as quiet as the breeze, but I could tell by the way his shock spread that he had heard me.

_Percy Jackson._

The one who got away.

Or is it the one who ruined me?

Either way, he was standing in front of me.

He hadn't aged a day since I had last seen him.

Instinctively, I ran over how I looked.

An old tee shirt. Worn out jean shorts. Drawn-on tennis shoes. Messy ponytail. No make-up.

I mentally cursed for having opted to sleep later than get ready this morning.

The shock and my emotions were flooding me when my brain suddenly took control.

Noah.

How old was Noah?

Sam's age, right?

That meant…

Instead of how I couldn't decide whether I wanted to start crying or hug him, I suddenly couldn't decide if I wanted to kill him or just punch him.

_Don't make a scene._

_Don't make a scene._

_Don't make a scene,_ I told myself.

But making a scene was all I could seem to do.

The kids were already staring at me, and I could almost see the wheels in Sam's head start to move as he looked between me and Percy.

I had to get out of here.

Trying to seem like the strong one, I used my _Mom Bag_ to hide my finger where a tan line from where my engagement ring used to sit was basically screaming for attention.

If babysitting my niece and nephew all weekend when I should have a life wasn't bad enough, I couldn't handle it if that jerk found out I was newly single, too.

I was about to tell Noah goodbye and leave while I still had my dignity, but I couldn't get myself to do it.

I was frozen to staring at my ex like an idiot, leaving three kids to stare at us like we were a freakshow.

"Um, Sam, why don't we go play a quick game?" Noah nodded towards the other side of the soccer field.

"Uh, sure. Kate, why don't you be our cheerleader?"

"Cheerleader?" Kate asked, and Sam rolled his eyes, taking his little sister's hand as he walked to the other side of the field and explained what a cheerleader was.

Even after the kids were gone, Percy and I just stared at each other.

There was so much to say that I suddenly couldn't think of it.

It was just swarming around me, each question begging to be asked.

When had he cheated? Who was Noah's mom? Did I know her? How long had he known about Noah before he left? How could he have done this to me after everything we had been through? Did he understand what he had done to me?

"You're Noah's dad?"

Percy nodded.

Suddenly, with that admission, I couldn't stop.

"So, that's why you left? Because cheating on me backfired?"

"What?"

"How long did you know about Noah before you finally decided to be in his life?"

"Annabeth-"

"He would have been already born by the time you left me! And he thinks you're so great!" I semi-screamed, keeping it low so the kids wouldn't hear me.

Percy knit his eyebrows in confusion, as if he was trying to understand what I had just said.

"Wait," Percy began, shaking his head, but I wasn't done yet.

It was like word vomit, I couldn't stop.

"How the hell could you do this to me?"

Percy's eyes widened as my eyes began to water.

Annabeth Chase _didn't_ cry.

_Ever._

Suddenly, I couldn't speak any more because I finally realized how much that had hurt.

For the last six years, I had ignored it time and time again and acted like I was completely removed from Percy Jackson, but I wasn't. Underneath this strong surface, I was still a girl who had been in love. And a girl whose heart had been broken cruelly without the slightest explanation why.

Because I didn't allow myself to think about it or people to talk about it, I had never understood how much it had really hurt when I had come that day to see Percy leaving.

"I'm going to go get the kids," I shouldered my bag and started walking away, but he tried to pull me back.

"Annabeth, you-"

I pulled my arm free and continued to walk away, tuning out what he was trying to say.

"Kate? Sam? Let's go grab some lunch."

Noah looked to me, scared that he wouldn't see me again.

"Don't forget what I said, okay, Noah?"

He nodded, smiling weakly as I took Kate's hand.

"Bye, Noah."

"Bye, Sam."

"Bye, 'Oah."

Noah smiled.

"Bye, Kate."

I smiled once more at Noah, and I quickly started walking away as I noticed Percy had finally found his words and was coming to explain.

* * *

_**I think I probably should have divided this into two chapters, but here it is anyway.**_

_**Percy and Annabeth met again!**_

_**Now, what about AB and WG?**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Percy,**_

Noah stared at me, and I tried not to meet his blue eyes as I got the water out of his ears as he buttoned up his pajama top.

I had specifically not talked to him about Annabeth, and he hadn't brought her up.

But I could tell what he was thinking when he looked at me.

Noah wanted _me_ to bring it up. He wanted me to tell him what happened, what would happen, and if I had screwed up once again. But he was in for bad luck.

Not only did I not want to talk about it, I _refused_ to.

This wasn't about him.

Well, it _was_. But it was about him before we even knew whether we were going to have a Noah or a Noel.

And I didn't want to involve Noah more than he already was. He already knew that he was the reason that I had lost Annabeth in the first place, but I didn't want him to think that he had screwed it up for my the second time.

Once again, I hadn't said what I should have said…

"You finished your homework for tomorrow?" I asked as I ran the towel through his hair one more time.

"Sam helped me."

I nodded.

Sam was good for Noah.

While it was awkward sometimes when I had to see Malcolm all the time, I loved how Sam and Noah got along. And lovely little Kate.

Now, she was my ideal daughter-in-law, something I liked to tease Sam about.

"That's good," I smiled as I stood up and threw the towel into the hamper, knowing that I'd probably have to do laundry tonight to get out of talking about Annnabeth with my son.

I was about to tell Noah some excuse that would have him watching the Sunday movie by himself when he spoke up.

"I want you and Annabeth to get together."

I stared at my son, my eyes wide.

From almost the time Noah could talk, he had been against JoJo dating.

But he had always taken a happy interest into my romantic life-or my _lack_ of one.

He tried to set me up with his mom's friends. He and Christine worked together to get me with single women she knew, and the only person I seemed to know who didn't try to help me find someone was JoJo. And that was probably only because she never saw me.

No one seemed to understand that I was a single dad.

Not a dating dad.

Or a married dad, even.

I was a _single dad_.

When Noah had been born, I had understood that it was just the two of us after that.

It was Noah or Annabeth, and I chose my son a long time ago.

I'd love to have it both ways I admit, but I had already given up on it. And Annabeth had clearly given up on it, too.

"That's not going to happen, Noah."

"She still loves you, I can tell, Daddy," Noah tried.

And maybe she did.

But love didn't equal a relationship.

Annabeth had it all wrong.

She thought I had been cheating on her instead of just getting drunk and making a mistake. She thought I had known about Noah before leaving instead of how I had left the day I found out about him. She thought I was just some jerk who had a kid while I was dating her.

…and she probably had that one right.

"That doesn't mean she can forgive me, Noah."

"But you're not even trying to, Daddy!"

My eyes widened as I looked at Noah.

Noah had been living with me for years, and I had partial custody before that.

But Noah had never yelled at me.

And I had never really yelled at him.

I didn't know what to say. Do I explain that I can't do that? Or do I just use the _"I'm-the-Parent-Here_" card?

Noah watched me like a hawk as he slid into his bed, and I finally found the words to say.

"She got engaged."

Noah's eyes softened.

"Did you ever wonder if she isn't engaged now because she still loves you?"

About to cry now, I came to sit on the floor infront of his bed.

"Daddy, I want you to be happy."

"I'm happy with you. I'm happy with the life we have. And I need you to know that happy endings don't always happen, and Annabeth and I didn't have a happy ending. But I got a happy ending with you. Noah, I need you to get that seconds chances don't always happen."

I hated telling my son this.

I know he had to learn that life wasn't like a movie one day, but I hated to have to take away that feeling when he was so young.

He still thought that the good guy always won. That the super hero always saved and got the girl. That the fates were kind.

But the fates hated me. The good guy didn't always win. And the girl didn't always succumb to the super hero.

It was a lesson I learned the hard way with a million scars.

But I would still choose to learn it that way than to be told like this.

I wanted Noah to keep that belief for as long as life would permit him.

Noah nodded hesitantly, and I realized he didn't believe me.

But I wasn't sure if I was happier that way or not.

"Love you, Noah. Night," I kissed the top of his head.

"Love you, too, Dad."

I ruffled his black hair before clicking off the lights and leaving.

As I stood, with his bedroom door closed behind me, I suddenly couldn't breathe.

"_But you're not even trying to, Daddy!"_

Those words played over and over again in my head.

Was there a truth to it?

If I tried, would I be her Seaweed Brain again?

Or would I be that guy you hate because he betrayed you and then comes begging for another chance when he threw the first away?

Would she accept me or hate me even more?

I couldn't think about that.

The only thing I could do to make me stop thinking about that was logging on to my computer and sending an email to WG.

_**To: WiseGirl210**_

_**From: AtlanticBoy16**_

_**It's horrible when your six year old makes more sense than you do.**_

_**He's trying to convince me to go after the 'One That Got Away' now that she's back in town. I don't know how to handle it. I mean, I still love her. I always have, but I can't break her heart again. And she hates me even more now.**_

_**What should I do?**_

_**-AB**_

I was about to cry as I thought about the betrayal in Annabeth's eyes when my computer pinged with a new email answering it for me.

_**To: AtlanticBoy16,**_

_**From: WiseGirl210**_

_**I'm in the same problem.**_

_**He's the reason I'm screwed up. I know to stay away from him, but there is something about him that just makes me want to run back into his arms and forget everything again.**_

_**I love him. But I hate what he's done to me.**_

_**And I'm not sure I can move past it.**_

_**As for you, it all depends on her. Do you think she still loves you? And, if you were in her place, could you forgive her?**_

_**-WG**_

Could I forgive Annabeth for having a child with another man when we had been together?

I wasn't even sure.

_**To: WiseGirl210**_

_**From: AtlanticBoy16**_

…_**I don't know.**_

_**I guess I could. Maybe…**_

_**But she doesn't even know all of the facts! She has it all wrong, making it a million times worse! I mean, what I did was bad, but she thinks I'm the kind of guy that should get the death punishment. And I can't tell her either.**_

_**I don't want to be that jerk**__**...**_

_**So, this guy is your Judas, huh?**_

_**If you think with your heart, go after him. If you think with your head… **_

_**I don't know.**_

_**-AB**_

WiseGirl wasted no time before responding.

_**To: AtlanticBoy16**_

_**From: WiseGirl210**_

_**He makes me like I'm sixteen again.**_

_**I'm eating chocolate and crying as I watch the end of Romantic Comedies because the couple got it right, unlike us. I want to scream at him. I want to hit him. I want to pretty much **_**kill**_** him.**_

_**And, yet, I want to hug him and bury my face in his shoulders. I want to get up on my tippy toes and kiss him. I even want to be a part of the life he's making.**_

_**Is it just because of how long we were together?**_

_**We had planned on a life together. We were going to get married and go out to the suburbs to raise our kids. We were going to do all these things...**_

_**And, with one word, it was all gone.**_

_**That life. It was like it was just an old dream.**_

_**Do I want him back or the life we could have had?**_

_**I keep wanting to ask everyone this, but I know I'm the only one with the answers.**_

_**But where do I find them? And can I find them in time?**_

_**-WG**_

In time.

Would I screw it up again?

Or would I be able to make Annabeth understand and fall in love with me and little Noah?

_**To: WiseGirl210**_

_**From: AtlanticBoy16**_

_**When you find all this, can you tell me how to find it for myself?**_

I pressed send.

_**Annabeth,**_

_When you find all this, can you tell me how to find it for myself?_

I didn't mean to start crying.

But, somehow, I did.

It pushed me over the edge.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Suddenly, everything hurt.

I opened my browser to write another message to AB, but I could barely see through my tears.

How could Malcolm be so stupid?

He said he knew I still loved him and my break-up with Henry had been the proof he had waited for me, and, since I was so hell bent on staying away, he had to take action to make sure his sister was happy again. What he didn't understand was that I wasn't being annoying when I said I didn't want to see him.

_I was protecting myself._

Not trying to keep myself from being with him again.

Trying to keep from this break-down.

…so much for that.

"Thank you, Malcolm," I muttered as I put my hair in a ponytail and grabbed my keys. Shoving stuff into my purse without any real order, I slid back into my flip flops and shut my laptop.

If I am going to be a hysterical broken woman, I'm going to go all out.

I began making a grocery list in my head.

-Chocolate

-Marshmallows

-Oreos

-Three bags of Hickory BBQ chips

-More Chocolate

-Ice Cream

-Even more chocolate

I was trying to remember where that grocery store with all that limited-edition ice cream I loved so much when I opened the door and started making my way to the small parking lot of my apartment building.

But then I saw someone putting the trash in the bin for the garbage man to pick up the next morning.

_Crap._

I dropped my bag in shock, sending stuff everywhere.

"Really?" I muttered.

It was either leave the bag-and stuff- and be saved from having to talk to him or risk it and get my stuff.

I was about to take off when I remembered just how much that purse had cost.

Damn it.

I got down on my knees and scrambled to get everything in the bag, cursing under my breath for all of the important things I had brought because I could have jumped up and ran if I hadn't had it all.

"Annabeth?"

I froze.

I looked up to see Percy.

Somehow, even with messy hair and his ancient pajama bottoms, he still looked as perfect as he always did, if not even more.

"Uh, hey," I pushed my hair behind my hair awkwardly.

Percy seemed just as stunned to see me, even though he was my neighbor.

"I… um, wanted to talk to you actually."

I had to bite my tongue to keep from getting sick.

"I don't want to talk to you, Percy," I pulled my purse onto my shoulder and stood, using every ounce of my will power not to break out into a run towards my car.

"Annabeth, listen you need to-"

"I don't want to talk, Percy."

I didn't want to hear him try to explain himself.

I knew what he had done, and I wasn't sure if I could stand a chance keeping things straight next to his god-like looks distracting me.

"No, you really don't understand," Percy began again.

"Percy."

My voice was beginning to reach desperation from not wanting to hear.

"I don't want to listen, okay?"

My voice went from desperation to anger.

Percy shook his head.

"I'm trying got explain."

"I don't want you to explain!"

"No, you want to stay mad at me!"

"You cheated on me! I have the right to be mad at you!"

"Yeah! But you refuse to learn the truth! You just want to hate me!"

"What truth? Stop trying to justify having a freakin' kid with someone else while you were with me!"

"You know what_, fine!_" Percy shook his head, narrowing his sea green eyes, "I give up!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't want to understand, so I'll stop trying," he walked past me angrily, his first balling up, and the water in the fountain began to bubble as he walked past it with his anger

I watched him go, and I felt a hollow feeling settle over me as his front door slammed back at me.

I was about to get in my car and go buy my pay check's worth of chocolate when I noticed the monster running down the dimly lit street, the only place in the suburb-like neighborhood that wasn't seen by cameras or neighborhood watch program.

Screw chocolate.

I slid my dagger into my back pocket and started walking towards the monster I saw jogging through the street, pretending to be a trophy wife trying to keep in shape.

Sniffing its nose, it turned to look at me.

"Angry Athena Girl," it pointed towards me stupidly.

"Angry Athena Girl," I nodded, sliding my dagger out.

* * *

_**I finally got a plan worked out for where this is going to go.**_

_**Please check out my blog. Just get rid of the spaces.**_

_** hawtgeek fanfiction. blogspot. com**_

_**As I started this, I had no clue how many HAWTgeeks there are now! When I started my name, I was the only HAWTgeek. But now they're freakin' everywhere! Of course, when I google the name I'm still the top link :-D**_

_**Wait, I just admitted that I google myself…**_

_**Oh, and check MobilePenny! We're working on a Hunger Games SYOT, and we're still looking for Tributes!**_

_**;D HAWTgeek ;D**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Annabeth,**_

Squirting the vanilla scented hand sanitizer into my hand, I began again at the task of getting rid of the monster blood that wouldn't seem to come off my wrist.

No one noticed it of course.

It was just a little fleck on my left wrist, but it was driving me insane.

I was beginning to regret having gone after that monster the night before.

Yes, it had gotten my anger out. Yes, it had proved I was still in shape, no matter how much Aubri continuously says I need to come to the Gym with her. And it had also kept a monster from continuing to track Noah.

But it had also left me exhausted, covered in golden blood, and that anger had quickly come back.

How could Percy do this to me?

Aside from cheating on me and conceiving a child, he had the audacity to try to make things look like he was_ innocent_.

At least he could have admitted that he was a jerk.

But he had tried to push the blame out on somebody out!

The pain of rubbing off not only the golden stain on my wrist but also my skin brought me back from my anger to my office, where I suddenly noticed that my coworkers were suddenly looking up from their computers to me.

What the-?

I suddenly realized what happened.

I logged onto my computer, and I quickly typed in the address for the gossip website that had first broken the news of my engagement.

I knew that the news had begun to come around about my broken engagement, but it had almost felt like it would never happen. That people would just think that work had brought us to push off our wedding and that I might have been getting my ring cleaned.

But here it was.

The video had their star reporter, a beautiful brunette, on the story, and I could tell that they had taken their time with this to make sure that they got this right.

On the screen behind the brunette, they had the official engagement photo of me and Henry with a big rip in the middle of it, with "_Split!"_ in big letters.

"It's official! Annabeth Chase and Henry Alexander have split!" the brunette made her language animated, "Everyone's been talking about it for a while now, but Henry Alexander made the official announcement yesterday at a press conference!"

_Sounds like Henry…_

Henry was famous.

And I guess I was.

But he needed to be famous. It was his job.

Henry Alexander was a god when it came to healthy and delicious cooking. With his good looks and passion for his career, Henry was on track to becoming the next Dr. Oz, and our engagement had been the amazing break for him. So, I guess he needed to keep this going.

But it suddenly made me want to kill him.

"It was two weeks ago that Annabeth Chase, his fiancé of almost six months, was seen putting her things into her car and going to LAX. Pictures of Annabeth moving into an apartment in New York were put to rest as everyone thought that he might be moving there after her," the reporter continued, "But, when the photos of Annabeth Chase babysitting her niece and nephew surfaced where she was without the engagement ring for the first time in six months, people began to wonder."

The reporter continued on with the story about our break-up, getting almost every fact right, with a twist to make it a little more dramatic of course. And I tuned out as I saw the pictures.

This had been the top priority story for the gossip website.

I could tell that almost all of their photographers had been tailing the two of us.

There were pictures of Henry. Chatting on his phone as he got coffee at the place we used to go together every morning. Going for a jog on the Malibu beach, where we used to go and relax to get away from busy LA. And then photos of him going furniture shopping with his sister and her three year old daughter, Candice, who was all she ever talked about when you talked to her.

Then there were the many pictures of me. Getting in the yellow taxi with my stuff in the trunk, hiding my hand without the engagement ring with a coffee cup. Going through security at LAX. Moving into my NY apartment. Shopping for furniture with my best friend, Rachel. Handing Kate an apple juice instead of the soda that she wanted at the pizza shop I took the three kids, too. And they had even caught the confrontation at the park with me and Percy.

At the sight of that picture, I pressed the _X_ to get out of the website.

I pressed the button to have the curtains swing across the windows so that my coworkers couldn't see me.

**WiseGirl210: I swear I am going to kill my brother**

**AtlanticBoy16: Why?**

I was about to explain the long story about my brother's betrayal when my fingers stopped on the keyboard.

No.

I deleted all I had written and decided that I wasn't going to tell him about my little devil/ most likely the love of my life.

**WiseGirl210: Long story. Just warning you that you might want to watch out for a story on the news about a psychotic girl killing her older brother.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Will do :D**

**WiseGirl210: So, how has your day been? That Alice girl being annoying?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Of course. I've been so tired that I've barely noticed. I had to skip lunch to go buy some energy drinks so I didn't fall asleep during class.**

**WiseGirl210: I have a stash of Monster Energy drinks in my office, and I've been drinking them all day. I only slept for about an hour last night.**

Sleeping hadn't been on the plan last night.

By the time I had showered off the golden blood and gotten into bed, I was just getting to sleep when my alarm clock began to ring that it was time for me to get up for my long morning routine.

**AtlanticBoy16: I tried to hide cookies in my desk once, and the kids found out about it and begged for them because the lunch at our school is "health-conscious" and also the worst thing you've ever tasted. I wouldn't dare bring energy drinks because I would be scared to see some of those kids just with a sip of coke. Imagine a bunch of twelve year olds with a Five Hour Energy.**

I smiled to myself as I typed back.

**WiseGirl210: Henry was such a health freak that he wouldn't let me have energy drinks. You have no clue how much I love eating without him. Cookies. Popcorn. Chips. Chocolate. Energy drinks. It's only been a few weeks, but I swear I've gained ten pounds.**

**AtlanticBoy16: You should have seen my son when I got custody. His mom was a health nut, too, but she did it because she wanted to be "hip" instead of really trying to be healthy. In the last three years he's been living with me, I've never seen him smile as wide as when I gave him his first Oreo.**

**WiseGirl210: What's it like?**

**AtlanticBoy16: An Oreo?**

**WiseGirl210: No, being a dad.**

**AtlanticBoy16: I don't know how to describe it…**

I was about to bring up something else when my IM alert pinged.

**AltanticBoy16: I love it. I would never switch my life for anything else. I'll admit I would have before he moved in with me, but I guess I was just born to be a dad. It's amazing to just look at your kid and see the things in him that are you and things that are his mom and things that are just him.**

I felt my stomach twist, and I began to wish I had that.

For years, I had gotten scared when I saw pregnancy tests and waited, but I suddenly began to wish that I had once seen a little pink plus sign.

As I stared at the screen, I realized that I hadn't wanted to have a kid with anyone else.

Only Percy…

**WiseGirl210: You know, I really like talking to you**

**AtlanticBoy16: I like talking to you, too.**

I smiled to myself.

So maybe I didn't have Percy, but I did have AB…

_**Percy,**_

While Noah scribbled on his notepad, taking me seriously when I suggested he draw to fill the time at the school, I stared at my students.

Well, I stared at Alice.

She was driving me insane.

Though she was undoubtedly my top student (even knowing more than my eight grade students), she continuously signed up for studying help.

At first, I thought it was good that she took such an interest, and I hoped the other kids would follow her lead.

But the other kids refused to come because they knew Alice was here, and even I didn't want to come by now.

I had been teaching for five years, but I had never met a student like Alice before.

It was like she was a daughter of Athena on crack.

She wouldn't stop.

She ran a hundred percent all the time, and it made me need a nap.

When I knew she wasn't looking (she was a big tattle tale), I downed a five hour energy and smiled weakly at my son, who was glaring at Alice.

Noah was supposed to be with his mom, but JoJo backed out _again_, claiming that she had a horrible dye job incident that made her sick from all the chemicals, which I translated into a bad hangover after a night of too much partying.

I had tried to get out of this, and most of the kids voted to let me go ahead and leave with Noah. Well, everyone_ but_ Alice, who had a panic attack about the test in a few days that I'm one hundred percent sure she'll ace.

The only way to get her to shut up was to stay, and now I was stuck with her.

My IM screen popped up, and I smiled to myself.

**WiseGirl210: Hey**

**AtlanticBoy16: What's up?**

**WiseGirl210: Trying to figure out how to work a dryer without setting my clothes on fire. I always had Henry do laundry. Any advice?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Ah, laundry. The task that my son has settled me with… Easy. Send it out.**

**WiseGirl210: :-D**

As if Alice could sense that I was happy, her hand shot up.

"Mr. Jackson?"

I mentally moaned.

"Yes, Alice?"

"When are the semester tests?"

"December twelfth."

_Three months from now._

Alice jotted that down in her notebook, and I waited until I knew she wasn't looking until I rolled my eyes, earning me a smile from a few of the students.

**WiseGirl210: So, what are you doing?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Running a make-up class. I'm stuck here for an hour while they finish old tests and study. I can tell Noah is about to kill me for it.**

**WiseGirl210: You know, you've never told me why you named your son Noah**

**AtlanticBoy16: I wanted to name him after my best friend that died when I was sixteen, but his mom was determined to name him some hip name that he would probably hate his entire life. It took us six months to agree on the name Noah.**

WG seemed to pause, as if thinking it over.

**WiseGirl210: I know a lot of Noah's. I used to know one, but, in the last few months, I just keep meeting them.**

**AtlanticBoy16: It was either give him a common name or something like Issia.**

**WiseGirl210: Issia? You're kidding, right?**

**AtlanticBoy16: I wish I was. I had to compromise on that, too. His middle name is Isaiah.**

I looked over to Noah, and I tried to imagine what his life would have been like if JoJo had never told me about him.

I knew I never would have met him, so I wouldn't see how much he looked like me and put the pieces together.

I would have never known about him if she hadn't told me, and, if I knew JoJo at all, he wouldn't know who I was either. His name wouldn't be Noah Isaiah Jackson but Issia Louis George. He wouldn't be playing soccer or do as well in school as he does. Without me, he wouldn't be the Noah I knew…

Noah flipped his Nokia open and typed off a text, probably to Sam, and I smiled to myself.

His cell phone was one of the few things that his mom had taken an interest in.

When he had told her that it was hard without a cell phone to call when soccer practice got out, she drove him straight from school to get a cell phone.

While I had been a little mad that she had bought him one without asking me, I was happy that he would have at least have that memory of his mom trying. And it was actually convenient to be able to text him when something important happened instead of having to send Christine to let him know.

And then my smile widened as I looked up to the clock.

"Alright, Guys. Turn in your tests. You can work on it tomorrow with Mrs. Waylon," I told them happily, and they quickly filed in a line to turn in everything before running out of the room to their parents- or just to get away from Alice.

"Is this your son?" Alice asked as she swung her pink book bag onto her back.

"Yeah," I smiled, "Noah, say hi."

Noah pulled on a fake smile, though still glaring at her.

"Hi."

"You're so adorable!" Alice smiled as she pinched his cheeks, and he narrowed his blue eyes at her.

Alice nervously pushed her auburn hair out of her eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Jackson."

"Bye, Alice."

Noah waited until the door shut behind her until he said anything.

"She's weird."

I laughed and nodded.

"You should see her in class," I told him as I logged out of my computer and picked up his way-too-heavy backpack.

"She gets worse?" Noah asked, unable to believe that it was even possible.

"I know it sounds crazy, but _yes_," I ruffled his hair as I led him out of the classroom to the Prius waiting alone in the teacher's parking lot.

Despite how I knew I should have put him in the backseat, I threw his backpack in the backseat and let Noah get up in the passenger seat next to me.

"So, how was school?" I asked as I started the car and started driving him home.

"Good," Noah shrugged as he switched the radio to the kids CD waiting for him.

"How was soccer practice?"

"Sam hurt his foot today, so he'll be goalie in our next game. And Coach Hawthorne is going to let me take his spot until Sam is doing better!" Noah smiled happily, and I froze at the thought of Sam.

I still remembered when Malcolm and Dana had come to Annabeth and me to announce that not only was Dana pregnant with their first child but that they had decided that Annabeth and I should be the god parents of the little baby. I had almost forgotten it until the day that I saw Annabeth again, and I suddenly remembered that we were supposed to have helped raise Sam.

That we were still supposed to be together…

Now my once-god-son was my son's best friend.

After a while of Noah telling me about what the coach had said almost word-by-word when he asked Noah to take over Sam's position, Noah suddenly stopped and thought about something.

"You okay, Noah?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"About?" I nudged the five year old.

"Have you seen Annabeth recently?"

I froze, but the sudden green light brought me back to the present.

"No," I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

"Will you?"

"I don't think so, Buddy."

Noah looked out the window, but I could sense that he had more to say.

"Do you'll think she'll move out?"

"You never know," I shrugged.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Noah?"

"Could you forgive her?"

"For what?"

"If she did what you did?"

I froze.

Yes.

It was the first answer in my head.

It would take a while, but yes.

But I wasn't Annabeth.

"Probably," I answered, suddenly feeling like my lunch was about to come back up.

"Do you think she will forgive you?"

"No, Noah." That was a much easier answer.

But Noah didn't seem to believe me.

He just stared at me from the passenger seat and kept searching for the answer he wanted.

And I did have the answer he wanted.

I had the horrible truth.

What Noah wanted lied in Romantic Comedies and fairy tales.

"Noah," I looked over to him, "It's over."

"Never say never, Daddy," Noah smiled weakly.

Never say never.

From the time Noah had been born, I had been telling him that.

'_Daddy, I'll never make the team!'_

'_I'll never do well in Math!'_

Every time, I had the same answer.

"_Never say never."_

Even playing the Justin Beiber song of the same name on the drive to school before a big test or a big game.

And it had almost always worked.

It was my favorite parent-saying, and I used it all the time.

So, it felt only fair that Noah would use it against me

"Never say never," I repeated under my breath.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Annabeth,**_

"So, how'd it go?" Rachel asked as she poured an insane amount of sugar into her coffee cup.

I knew what she meant.

The blind date.

Rachel had set me up with the man she worked with, the one she would have dated had she not been the oracle, and, since we had both been in love with Percy, I guess we assumed that we would both like the same kind of guys. But it turns out that Percy was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

The man I had a date with, Robbie, was nice. I guess. He was funny. Intelligent. And caring.

But there was something so wrong. And it quickly became one of the worst dates of my life.

When I got home from the date, at an early seven, I decidedly didn't call Rachel, and I simply wrapped myself up in a blanket and watched You've Got Mail.

But, somehow, the worst part of my night was when AB didn't answer me.

When my email went without an answer, and I realized that he was busy.

As I watched the classic movie, I began to wonder where AB was. If he also had a blind date and if it had been as awful as mine.

By the time Tom Hanks was falling off the treadmill in the movie, I began to wonder about if AB had a good time on this date. If he happened to like her. If there was a connection there. And if he decided that it was time to move on from an E-Pal and go to a real person.

Someone who could give stability to his son. To _him_.

When Tom Hanks got stuck in the elevator, I sent another email. When Meg Ryan was seeing Tom Hanks in the coffee shop and began to talk about NY152, I sent an email. And, when they had the big reveal that Meg Ryan was ShopGirl and Tom Hanks was NY152, I began to want to meet him.

By the end of the night, when I was shutting down my laptop and shoving a popcorn bowl into the dishwasher to go to bed, Robbie was the last thing on my mind.

But I knew I had to talk about him.

"Not good."

"What?" Rachel's face fell as she abandoned on the cream she wanted to put into her coffee.

"I mean, we should have been good together. But it just didn't…" I trailed off, not sure what it was, "_click_."

I stirred my coffee and took a long sip of the caffeine as I pulled my purse back over my shoulder and began to walk out of the shop, Rachel coming after me.

"The first date back is always the hardest."

I lowered my head as I started walking towards our office buildings.

"I think this is my last blind date, Rachel."

"What? Annabeth, you can't just give up!"

"I'm not giving up," I told her, "If I meet someone, then I'll go after it. But, for now, I'm okay as I am. And, if I'm like this forever…"

I shrugged.

"Annabeth, you're beautiful, you're smart, and you're funny. Any guy would be _lucky_ to have you. But you just have to find the right guy, okay?" Rachel tried again.

Over the years, everyone had tried to set me up.

Juniper tried to set me up with a satyr, which didn't work out.

Grover tried to set me up with an activist, and we didn't even finish out the first date before we both ran away.

Malcolm set me up with a successful business man who had been his old friend from college.

And then Dana set me up with her friend from when she was Sam's age, Kelly.

But they had learned that I didn't want that.

_Rachel_ never learned that.

"Rachel, I think I'm giving up."

"Giving up?"

"I'm done."

"You can't be _done_," Rachel pulled me back to stop in the middle of the sidewalk, earning us dirty looks from other commuters, "Listen, I know everyone says that the clock is ticking when you're twenty, but-"

"Rachel, it's not _that_. I just think it's time to stop kidding myself."

"Annabeth, you're beautiful. You're smart. You're funny. Any guy would be lucky to have you. You just haven't found the right guy yet, okay?"

"No, Rachel, I have."

Rachel's eyes widened.

"I have met a lot of '_right guys_' in my life. Percy. William. Henry. And Robbie. But_ I'm_ not right."

"Annabeth, don't say that."

"Rachel, I'm fine with growing old as an aunt, not a mom. For my career being my baby. To talk about my job in the nursing home. I'm okay with being alone. And I need you to be okay with that, too, okay?" I told her, setting my hand on her shoulder.

"Alright," Rachel finally nodded, "This is your life."

I smiled thanks at Rachel and hugged her.

"I'll call you later, okay?"

"Just remember, if you change your mind, I have a lot of guys I'm sure you'll like," Rachel told me, and I nodded, even though I knew I'd never take up on that over again.

Something felt freeing about admitting that I was really okay with not ever getting married or ever having children of my own. While I still hoped that I could find someone I loved, I found that I was alright if I didn't.

Rachel and I walked together until she reached her office building, and I sped up towards mine.

Every day, it still felt like a dream when I saw the sign for _Mt. Olympus Architectural Agency_. This had been my dream since before I even knew what an architect was. I just knew I wanted to build something permanent, something dependable.

And here I was.

With the most recognized architectural agency in the _world_.

"Annabeth!"

I stopped as I was about to press the elevator button, everyone staring at my tan line where a way-too-large wedding ring used to sit.

I had to remind myself that everyone knew now.

That Henry had announced it to the world that I was about to become an old maid (well maybe not _that)._

But I still felt like I had to hide my hand like a baby bump when I hadn't told my family yet.

"What are you still doing here, Malcolm? I thought you had a train to DC," I looked down at my watch.

"I do, but Mia had something that she forgot about. And I need you to come, Annabeth."

I stared in disbelief.

"You're letting me on the monument job?"

I hadn't been table to take the monument job because I was engaged and planning a wedding, and the unveiling was planned for December 19th, when I was supposed to be on a lavish honeymoon on a yacht, where no paparazzi could find us, cruising around the west coast.

But I wasn't engaged.

And I had no wedding to plan.

And I wouldn't be on a yacht soaking up the warm sun on my honeymoon during this unveiling.

"If you can make a train for DC in," Malcolm looked to his expensive watch that Dana had given him for their last anniversary, "thirty minutes."

_**XXXXX**_

I relaxed into the cushy train seat, and I logged onto the WiFi that Malcolm had on his cell phone.

It had been a miracle that Malcolm had given me enough time to grab my work laptop, so the rest of my stuff was left at home, including my PC with everything on it.

But I had decided against complaining.

This was the account I had worked so hard to land and wanted so badly.

It was only two days anyway.

I was beginning to make my plan, trying to remember which store I used to go to when I briefly lived in DC on my tour of the USA while running away from Percy six years ago. And I was silently thanking the gods that I had accidentally thrown my favorite pair of Homer Simpson pajama bottoms in my bag this morning.

But then my homepage went to Hotmail as soon as I logged on.

AB.

I pressed the refresh button and bit my lip as I waited.

No new messages.

_Nothing?_

I tried to remind myself that AB was a single dad with a six year old, a stressful career, and a crazy ex.

But it still hurt that I hadn't heard from him.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and typed away an email to the elusive penpal.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**Blind dates.**

**I had thought I lucked out by meeting Henry because that meant no more blind dates. But the blind dates have actually gotten worse now that my license now reads **_**30**_** instead of **_**20**_**.**** It's like they're all scared that I'm going to be alone.**

**And why are **_**they**_** scared when I'm fine?**

**Anyway, what did you do last night?**

**-WG**

It didn't take long before I got a reply.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**A blind date sounds better than what I did last night. My son is trying to set me up with my ex, and he doesn't seem to understand that she can't forgive me for what I did. And I can't sit down and tell him that I am going to die alone because I was an idiot and got his mom pregnant.**

**When you have a blind date, you can leave and ignore the person.**

**I can't leave my son and pretend that I never knew him.**

**But, then again, I couldn't handle a blind date again. And it's even worse when you're a single parent by the way, especially when you're a single **_**dad**_**. You should actually see soccer practice. All of those single moms run towards me like I'm the last guy on the planet.**

**If you ever are desperate for a husband, look hot and come to a soccer game with a bunch of single dads. A bunch of women will hate you, but you'll get a guy.**

**;D**

**-AB**

I smiled to myself and pressed the IM, glancing up to my brother.

Malcolm was talking on his cell phone, smiling his _dad smile_ as he talked to Kate, almost crying as he told her he'd be back in a few days.

Sometimes, I never understood why he had this job when he was such a family man.

He basically started bawling whenever he told Kate goodbye, and I had to admit that I was jealous when I watched him on the phone with his kids.

Sure, I knew they were sad. And I knew he was sad.

But they all loved each other so much…

Malcolm had a family.

And what did I have?

A puppy, which I may not get because of my job.

A job I love that works me too hard.

And an apartment that I love by the person that I hate.

…or maybe love him.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**I'll remember that ;D**

**Poor little kid.**

**My favorite niece is trying to get me with someone who I hate because "You both are so pwetty that 'ur baby 'ould be so pwetty!" It's so hard to explain that the reason she loves him is the reason I hate him, and I want to be mad. But she's so adorable, and I can't do it.**

**You know how there is that kid that makes you want to settle down and immediately start having kids?**

**My niece is one of those kids. I can barely look at her without thinking "What if I had kids?" and I've realized that there is only one person I have ever been with that has made me want to have a baby. And he is the person who I can't even look at.**

**What about you?**

**Did you ever see yourself as a dad?**

**-WG**

I stared at the screen as I waited for the response.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**I guess I did.**

**Well, not like this.**

**I always saw it with this girl I was with forever. I always saw me waking up on Saturday mornings, letting her sleep as I go to go wake up the kids and start on breakfast. Watching them laugh at their morning cartoons and her coming in, getting on her tippy toes as she went to go see the kids.**

**But that is never going to happen, I know that.**

**I know kids like that, too.**

**Those kind of kids are the only things that kept me from having a heart attack from being worried while Noah's mom was pregnant with him.**

**-AB**

I bit my lip, thinking about what I wanted to do.

And then I found my fingers clacking on my keyboard, and I took a long deep breath before pressing send.

_**Percy,**_

_Ping._

I glanced down at my cell phone, seeing the little notification that told me that I had a new email, and I smiled to myself as I took another turn.

JoJo didn't live far away from me, but it felt like a completely different planet sometimes.

I lived in a little development that "combined the great parts of living in New York City and living in the suberbs", as the pamphlets put it.

But JoJo had adamantly tried to hold on to the young life she loved so much.

So, she was constantly moving to whatever neighborhood was hip.

This year, it was an urban loft nearby where I lived, and I still worried when I dropped Noah off because of all the sharp turns and dangers in JoJo's apartment. But him running into a corner is better than never seeing his mom.

So, I let it go.

Since Noah had no tests that he needed to study for (JoJo was horrible about getting him to study) and JoJo had missed her last weekend with him, I had worked it out so that Noah could spend the weekend with her.

JoJo had been okay with the idea, saying that she didn't have anything for work and that the timing was good.

But Noah's face had lit up when I told him that he was going to spend the weekend with his mom.

He was so excited that he even shut up about Annabeth for a while.

"I thought Mommy was living in that old townhouse."

JoJo's last place.

For a while, everyone wanted to life in their own bit of history.

So, of course JoJo paid more than she could afford to live there, too.

It hadn't been long since she left, but I still felt bad that my son didn't know that she had left.

"Remember, Noah? She moved over here," I told him as I parked my small car by the apartment building and got out of the car.

I tried not to notice as the young people stared at me like I was an alien.

I was everything they weren't.

I was older (30 is old to twenty-two year olds as I've learned). I had a kid while they were all protesting to get free birth control. I was a soccer dad. And I spent Friday nights either watching a cartoon movie with my son or taking his soccer team out after a game.

But their eyes bugged out as they looked at JoJo coming out of the urban building, opening her arms to hug Noah.

JoJo had once again changed her look to be hip.

Her blonde hair now had a red tint, and she had one of those feathers put in. From her two-sizes-too-small jeans to her bangles, everything about her was reflective, and she had put on enough make-up to pass as a college student trying to look older.

"Mommy!"

"Hey, Babino," JoJo kissed the top of Noah's head as she held him on her hip.

A smile on my lips, I handed JoJo his backpack.

"Now, remember not to give him any mushrooms, okay?"

Noah was terribly allergic to mushrooms, something we had just found out recently. So, the week after the testing, what did JoJo decide to make?

You guessed it, mushrooms.

"I know Percy," JoJo rolled her eyes, silently telling me that it was a one-time thing.

"And keep his shot on you in case he does eat some."

"I _know,_ Percy," JoJo narrowed her blue eyes at me.

It was still hard to think that Christine had first described Annabeth to Noah as looking like JoJo with "long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes".

The blue eyes thing was a mistake that was made all the time (For a year, whenever someone saw a picture of me with Annabeth, they would make jokes about how I had gone and found the perfect California girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes). And they both had the same shade of golden blonde at one point, though JoJo had gotten that out of a bottle. And they both had high cheek-bones and thick lips.

But I had never seen the two as similar at all.

Annabeth was kind. Sometimes too smart for her own good, but she did have a kind heart.

And I could swear sometimes that JoJo was the _devil._

"Alright then," I kissed the top of Noah's head, "Be good."

"I love you, Daddy."

My heart warmed.

"Have fun."

Noah nodded as JoJo set him down, and I tried not to notice as she looked around to see if her friends saw her acting like her age instead of being the twenty year old they all knew her as.

"Bye, JoJo."

"Bye, Percy," JoJo waved at me, giving me a peak at the new tattoo on her right wrist of what looked like a sparrow.

I mentally moaned but pulled a smile on my face as I started up the car.

I was beginning to wonder what kind of an influence it was like for Noah to have both parents with a tattoo, and I was imagining what tattoos he would have if he got them when I pulled the car into the street and started to drive.

Would it be one tattoo on the arm like me?

Or would he be covered in weird hip symbols like his mom?

After what felt like forever, I finally found that I was at the all-natural store that Grover owned.

I smiled to myself as I pulled the car to a halt and parked.

When Grover had gotten married, Juniper had been given a wedding present to be able to leave Camp. And, with Grover gone all the time, Juniper decided that she wanted something here because it hurt her to be able to leave camp but not be able to come with him.

So, Grover opened an all-natural store.

_ECOlogical_, a health food/natural products store in the urban part of town that he would actually get business in.

As soon as I heard the familiar jingle of the door chime, I cringed as the horrible smell of the many herbs mixing together to form some stench that goes beyond words.

The people who came in never seemed to notice it.

Just me.

"Hey, Perce!" Juniper told me as she pulled herself onto the countertop, looking through the back of a bottle.

"Fertility?" I read the back of it.

"Practicing taking the pills. When Grover sees how much Noah loves you when he gets back, I'm sure he'll see that once again, I'm right," Juniper shrugged as she popped a pill in her mouth and cringed as she swallowed it with a glass of water.

"So, how are you doing, June?"

"Great! I just went for lunch with…" Juniper's face fell as she realized she wasn't allowed to talk about it.

"You can say her name, Juniper. Noah does all the time."

"Noah knows?" Juniper's eyes widened.

To her, Noah was still that little baby the saw when he got out of the hospital.

Adorable, with big blue eyes and raven black hair. That big constant smile. And that innocence.

When I told her about Noah being bad, she never believed it.

"JoJo let it slip that I had broken some poor girl's heart because of her. And then we saw her, and Noah has been on this kick to get us back together since. He's trying to turn our life into some kid's movie," I told Juniper as I looked through the inventory of paper made out of recycled notebook paper.

"JoJo," Juniper shook her head.

No one hated JoJo more than Juniper.

She always thought JoJo was a poseur for trying to be eco-friendly to be hip, not to save the endangered environment.

"Don't act so happy to hear about her, Perry."

Juniper looked at me, her eyes narrowing.

For the last few years, I had tried to find the right nickname for her, but I just couldn't find it.

"Is there anything you need, Perseus?"

"Can I borrow your computer?" I asked, looking down at my cell phone.

"Sure, in the back. You know the password," Juniper nodded towards the backroom as she hid her bottle of fertility pills just in case Grover got home suddenly.

I knew the path to the stock room like the back of my hand.

Before this was the store Grover owned, it was a skateboard shop I worked at with Annabeth during high school.

I was biting my lip not to remember my time here when we worked in the skateboard shop, and I quickly logged onto the computer and went to my Hotmail account.

**To: AltanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**You're going to make me cry, you know that?**

**What is it with imagining a life with kids that you'll never have that just makes someone bawl?**

**I never wanted kids. I dated this guy forever who wanted kids. For almost ten years, he tried to convince me to have children one day. And, once he did, we broke up. Henry wanted kids…**

**Well, he thought he wanted them. I'm not sure he would have been a good dad, but he still wanted those kids.**

**And now I suddenly want them. I suddenly don't want to be this career woman, and it is all I have left.**

**Well, I'm getting too deep here.**

**How is that cutie little Noah doing?**

**And how are you doing? Doing **_**really**_**?**

…**I wish I could actually **_**see **_**you and be able to tell if you were lying through the screen.**

**I think I actually want to meet you. I know I said a million times that things were better like this. I couldn't push you away. I couldn't make a mess of things like I always do. But I don't think I can stand this much longer.**

**-WG**

I stared at the screen in disbelief and began to type back a response.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**Noah is great, as always. He's with his mom for the weekend.**

**Now, me?**

**I'm about to have a panic attack wondering if she is going to forget that he is allergic to mushrooms and give him some again.**

**You know, his mom thought about not telling me about Noah, and I probably never would have found out if she hadn't.**

**I keep thinking about what his life would have been like if I hadn't found out about him.**

**For one thing, his name would be **_**Issia**_**. He'd be moving all the time because his mom is always going to the new 'hip' neighborhood. Her boyfriends are horrible, and I'd be worried about how they would treat him.**

**I really hate his mom.**

**If not for how she is as a person but for how she is as a mom. And how he is always trying to justify what she does, though I know he knows the truth.**

**Anyway, it doesn't matter…**

I thought about sending the email like it was, ignoring the offer of meeting her. Of putting a face with the vivacious person I knew through the screen.

But I couldn't get myself to press send.

**You know, I'm trying to imagine what you look like. And I've really come up short other than you admitting that you have blonde hair.**

**I want to meet you, too.**

**-AB**

* * *

….

That just happened.

Okay, I suggest some people watch You've Got Mail to see why this is going so slow.

Alright, I shall see you eventually. It'll probably be a while because, aside from helping with my cousin's wedding, packing to move, getting ready for an interview to see if I can get into a prep school where I'm moving, I am now going to see my god-cousins (I'm not sure how to really classify them) while they're in SC from Texas.

I need a nap…

;D


	9. Chapter 9

_**Annabeth,**_

Rachel's green eyes flew over the words on my laptop hungrily, waiting to find out why I had been so nervous when I had come to lunch today.

Honestly, I wasn't nervous.

I was _terrified._

For the last few weeks, I had been thinking about him non-stop, and I had been wanting to meet him almost from the moment I had first started talking to AB. But, now that we were actually going to meet, my brain started kicking in.

What if he was a psychotic killer?

What if this was all some dare from his friends, make some girl fall in love with you on the internet?

What if… What if it was Percy?

Last night, I had this horrible dream, one of the worst ever.

If I closed my eyes too long, I could see it again, him standing there, wearing the college tee shirt that would tell me who AB was. And it was so realistic… He still looked so perfect, like he always had.

And the worst part was that it all fit together!

A son named Noah. A crazy woman as Noah's mother. It all made sense…

But it didn't feel right either.

Percy was… _evil_.

Absolutely cold-hearted.

He had tricked me. _Me!_ He not only had an affair, but he had a son. And now he parades around as this wonderful father who gave up so much for his son, but he wasn't in Noah's life until he was about one or so.

And AB…

He loved his son. He had been there for every doctor's appointment, every sonogram, and every time his ex let him have custody of their son. And this guy wouldn't want to trick me, much less go to such extremes as to do so.

And… I think AB might actually love me.

And Percy…

I don't know.

"You're going to meet him!" Rachel smiled, making it so that it really wasn't a question, "Today!"

The petite redhead pulled me into a hug in the booth that we were both sitting at, and my eyes looked over at my laptop again, glancing at the time.

I only had an hour until I had to be there.

"Are you nervous?" Rachel asked as she smiled at me.

Nervous.

Nervous didn't cover it.

You're nervous when you go to your first day of school.

You're nervous when your leaning in for your first kiss.

You're nervous when you wait for your grade to be handed back to you after a hard test.

I was about to explain all this, but I decided against it.

"Yeah," I finally nodded, pushing my blonde hair behind my ear, "Um, do you think this guy sounds familiar?"

"Familiar? You think you already know him?" Rachel knit her eyebrows in confusion.

I felt sick as I opened my mouth to begin.

"You know, like someone we both know…"

"Both know?"

"Like someone we both to… _like_."

Rachel's St. Patrick's Day green eyes widened in shock as she realized who we were talking about.

"You think it's Percy?"

"Well, I just… I had this dream…" I trailed off as I realized how crazy I sounded.

"Like a half-blood dream?" Rachel asked, knowing that I could sometime dream the future. But that ability had stopped a long time ago, when my dreams had started being wrong.

_Like that dream where I married Percy, which so didn't happen…_

"I don't know," I shrugged as I closed my laptop and put in my bag, "I'm just being paranoid."

"Of course!" Rachel agreed, patting my hand that I was being logical again.

_It couldn't be Percy._

_It _couldn't_ be,_ I kept telling myself that as I slid my laptop back into its case and got up from my seat at the diner that I had been going to since I was sixteen.

Aside from the threat of running into Percy at any time, I loved being back in New York. I loved going to the places that I went to as I was growing up. I loved getting off from work and exploring the city like I used to when I was a teenager.

Every time, there was something new.

A new building. A newly opened store. Something shut down. Or someone new was added into the crowd of pedestrians.

Things could change here. Nothing was ever the same.

And I liked that.

I could start over here.

"Alright, send me a picture, okay?" Rachel smiled, "I want to see if he's as hot in person as he is online."

I smiled and nudged her.

"Will do."

_**Percy,**_

My cell phone pinged with a new text.

**Wish u were with us!**

**-N**

I clicked to see the picture that had been taken with Noah's camera phone, and I had to turn my iPhone upside down to be able to see the picture of Noah with JoJo at some arcade, where Noah was holding a teddy bear that was bigger than him.

_At least they're having fun_…

I saved the picture, smiling to myself as I looked down at my watch.

Almost time to go meet her…

I shoved my cell phone into my jacket pocket, silently thinking about how strange it was that it was already cold this fall, and I started walking from the park towards the ice cream shop where I had been taking my son for the last three years.

I didn't know why I had chosen the ice cream shop when WG had asked a place to meet, but it was the first thing that popped into my head.

And, now that I was thinking about other places that I could have chosen, I realized that the ice cream shop was really the only place I could choose. Everywhere else, I had a memory with Annabeth. And I wanted a new memory for WG, or whatever her name was.

What was her name?

Alex?

Beatrice?

Cassie?

I was beginning to think of different names when I saw _her._

"Oh Crap," I stopped and moved behind an oak tree in the park I was crossing, and I hesitantly craned around to make sure that it was her.

_Definitely._

That's _Annabeth_.

She looked the same as she had when we were sixteen, absolutely beautiful, even in a pair of old jeans and a Harvard sweatshirt. Shouldering her ancient computer bag, something her father had bought her years ago, Annabeth seemed to be in a hurry to get wherever she was going.

I wanted to continue to hide behind the tree until she was gone.

But the problem was that I had somewhere to be, too.

I held my breath but finally got my feet moving.

I had been in New York my entire life, I knew it like the back of my hand. It should have been easy to get away from Annabeth, to take the shortcut to the ice cream shop I had been going to for years.

But my problem was that Annabeth had a good memory.

She also knew the shortcut, and she was also using it.

I didn't know that though, so I kept on walking.

Walking straight on until I ran into a certain someone.

"Oh I'm sorry."

"It was my-"

Her grey eyes widened, and I froze.

"You," her jaw tightened, but she didn't leave like I expected her to.

And I couldn't move.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm not allowed to walk through a park now?"

"No, you're not!" Annabeth threw her arms in the air, and I began to sense an Annabeth-breakdown coming on.

"Then what am I allowed to do then?"

"Don't come near me!" she yelled.

"Do you want me to put a tracking device on you so I know where not to go? Or do you just certain parts of the city?"

"Don't be such a smart-alike, Percy!" Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Only she didn't say Smart-_Alike_.

A mom glared at us as she covered her toddler son's ears and started driving the stroller away.

"Me? _Me_?"

"Yes, _you!_" Annabeth yelled, not caring about how everyone in the entire park was now staring.

"Your little Seaweed Brain?" I sneered, and her grey eyes grew hard.

"Why not? You're already a hypocrite! Might as well add that to the list!" Annabeth jabbed at me.

"How am I a _hypocrite_?"

"Noah!" Annabeth screamed, "You were so jealous when that guy in the office had a crush on me, but then you were cheating the entire time! And now you parade as this wonderful father, and just how long were you absent in Noah's life!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I have always been there for my son, and don't you dare say any differently!"

"I can do the math if he's six, Percy!"

"He's _five,_ Genius!"

Annabeth's mouth dropped open, and she shrank back.

"What?" her voice was small, almost inaudible.

"His birthday is June fourteenth," I lowered my voice, suddenly not able to scream at her anymore.

Annabeth's grey eyes widened as she did the math.

No, her eyes widened because she finally understood.

I didn't leave because the guilt about having a secret son was getting to me. I wasn't so jealous because I was also cheating and knew the signs. I wasn't distant because I knew that there was a child out there who shared my DNA and not Annabeth's, too.

I was jealous because I loved her more than anything. I was distant because the guilt about JoJo was eating at me and I didn't know how to tell her. And I left because of Noah…

"He's five," Annabeth repeated, holding her hand to her mouth as she figured everything out, put the pieces together.

I didn't know what to do.

Should I hold my pride or comfort her?

Should I keep explaining or let her figure it all out for herself?

Should I tell her I miss her or was that still too wrong to do?

Annabeth didn't give me a chance to come up with an answer.

She looked up at me, looking me in the eyes for the first time since she had looked at me when I had told her that I was leaving six years ago, and she bit her lip to keep the tears from falling in front of me.

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped before she could.

And then she was gone, in the opposite direction from the way she had been heading when I ran into her.

I fished my cell phone out of my pocket.

I still had time if I wanted to go meet WG, but I suddenly couldn't do it.

I zipped my jacket up to my chin since I wouldn't need the college tee shirt calling-card anymore, and I began to walk back towards where I had started.

Why didn't it feel good?

I had wanted to tell her the truth, to tell her that she had it wrong. That, while I was pretty bad, I wasn't that evil.

But, before now, she could hate me with everything she had. She knew that I wasn't just cruel to her but that I was just a monster. She could just blame it on me being the jerk that I was underneath, and she never had to think about the fact that I had just made a mistake. That things really could have ended up differently.

That I wouldn't have left. That I would have married her. And that Noah could be our son.

I began to walk faster as I tried to get that image out of my head.

Before, I had hated the way her grey eyes had looked at me like I was Hades, like I was worse than Hades actually. That I was the worst scum that the Underworld could come up with.

But I liked that a million times more than the way she had looked at me today.

For the last six years, I had been thinking about the day I left Annabeth, in particular the way she had looked at me. The way she couldn't decide if she wanted to cry or scream. To hate me or to get on her knees and beg me to stay. To kill me or kiss me. But the one thing her eyes could decide on was pain.

The pure pain was more than I had ever seen, and it was killing me as I thought about it.

My alarm buzzed on my cell phone, and I brought it out to see the capitol letter alarm I had left, _MEETING WITH WG!_

I pressed ignore and mentally started planning my email apologizing for standing her up.

* * *

**_I know it's short, and it's not exactly where I was planning on going with this chapter. But here it is *Shrug*_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Annabeth,**_

I peeked out of my window as he left his house.

Since I moved in, he had been leaving for work earlier than usual. As a teacher, I guess it made sense and all, but I could tell that Noah hated it.

Percy carried Noah's backpack as he stopped at the door to tie up the laces on his cleats for an early soccer practice, and Percy smiled down at his son, saying something that I couldn't hear before they both disappeared back towards the car.

How could I think that about him?

He seriously had been a good dad. Percy didn't leave me because the guilt about having a secret family was getting to him. He left me because he found out about Noah. And I had been wrong…

Once I heard the sound of the engine starting and driving to where he would be able to see me, I closed the blinds again and started walking towards the position I had been in since I had first gotten home after finding out that Noah was five instead of the six that I had thought.

I sat myself down in the arm chair, pulling the heavy green comforter back over me, and I reached for the steaming cup of coffee on the coffee table.

For the last few hours, I had been frozen.

All I could do was sit in the chair and begin to think it over, to analyze everything that had happened in the last six years to see what had _really_ happened, not what I _thought_ happened.

And I had done that until about an hour ago, when I could suddenly move again, and all I wanted to do was move to keep from thinking about it too much.

So, I got up and started coffee, took a shower, and sent in a text to Malcolm that I was sick and wouldn't make it for work.

And then I heard Percy…

I quickly looked at the clock.

_Six AM._

I better start on my message then…

I picked up my laptop from the couch, and I saw that I already had an email from him.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGirl210**

**Sorry I didn't make it.**

**Things just got… **_**crazy**_**.**

**-AB**

Things got crazy.

That is the understatement of the century.

I took a long deep breath as I began on what I wanted to say.

No, on what I _needed_ to say.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**Things got crazy… Agreement there.**

**I didn't make it either, long story that I'm not even sure I could explain. I'm beginning to miss when things were boring….**

**Anyway, I've been thinking a lot…**

**No surprise there, huh?**

**Well, what I finally came up with was that things are too hectic. I mean, I don't even want to be in on this drama, much less bring someone else in on it.**

**I still want to meet you, I **_**really**_** do. But… not yet.**

**Is that okay?**

**-WG**

I held my breath as I watched the alert come up that told me the message had been sent.

I knew I had to not meet him, but I still _wanted_ to.

But, more than anything, I wanted to know the truth.

Not the watered-down version that I told myself, but _the truth_.

And I knew where to get it.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail, and I slid a pair of jeans on, tucking in my wrinkled shirt. I hurried around to find my shoes, and I waited until I knew that she would be up before I finally left my apartment and started walking to the apartment across the courtyard.

I fiddled with my ponytail one more time before finally pressing the doorbell.

"Coming!" her voice was faint as she called out for me to wait, and I straightened my top again as I waited for the door to open, praying that she wouldn't decide again that I needed a new look and take me out shopping like the last time I had showed up in jeans.

I pulled a smile on my lips as the door opened.

"Hey, Christine," I smiled at the aging woman, who was wearing a cute little apron that her granddaughter had made her.

"Annabeth!" she smiled, pulling me into a hug that made it hard for me to breathe, "Darling, how are you?"

"Uh, good, I just have the day off," I shrugged, "And I really wanted to talk to you."

Christine smiled for me to continue as she ushered me into the kitchen, where there was a plate of chocolate chip cookies waiting as if she had planned on me coming. Christine held up a pitcher of water to ask if I wanted any, but I shook my head and picked up a cookie instead.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Annabeth?" Christine smiled as she sat across from me.

"How long have you known Percy?" I asked, biting my tongue not to start bawling again.

"About two years, I'd say. Jackson is a good boy, and his son is wonderful. I feel kind of bad for Jackson though. One bad choice and his world was rocked forever," Christine told me as she sipped at her glass of water, "Why do you ask, Annabeth?"

"Wait, what do you mean by a bad choice?"

"JoJo! I swear she's evil!" Christine raised her arms in the animated way she said everything, "She had this crush on Jackson in college, and then she saw him one night, completely drunk. They had been friends in college, I think. Or maybe they knew each other in high school, something like that. Anyway, his friend was trying to get him to stop moping about something and took him out, and he was about to take Jackson home when JoJo said she'd make sure Jackson didn't do anything stupid."

Christine rolled her eyes as she took another drink of water.

JoJo?

Didn't we know a JoJo when we were in college?

"Jackson was in love with some girl, he never told me much about her. Other than he never told her about Noah and that she hated him," Christine shrugged, "Why do you ask, Annabeth?"

I felt my throat close up, and I felt like the cookie I just ate was about to come back up.

"Um, it's a long story."

Christine propped her shoulders on the table and set her head in her hands, a big smile telling me that we had time to tell it.

"Um, I know Percy…"

"Are you alright, Dear? You look kind of flushed," Christine held her bony hand to my cheek.

"Yeah, do you mind if I have a glass of water?" I tugged at my old tee shirt, suddenly feeling overheated.

"Of course not! I'll get it for you, Darling." Christine hurried to the cabinet and brought out a glass, and she looked back at me as she poured a glass of water from the Brita purifier, "Now, how do you know Jackson again?"

"We were friends for a long time, from when we were twelve. We started dating when we were sixteen, and…" I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn't keep it from Christine forever, "We dated for almost ten years."

Christine watched me closely, slowly putting the pieces together.

"I'm the girl. He left _me_."

Christine dropped the glass, her chocolate brown eyes wide, and she held her hand to her mouth as she gasped.

"I shouldn't have said anything! This is his place to tell you," Christine quickly came to sit across from me, her shoes crunching on the broken glass.

"No, no, I need to know what happened, and Percy can't really tell me…" I trailed off.

Christine wrapped her hand around mine, giving me a comforting squeeze.

"If you _really_ want to know where to go, you know where you need to go."

I froze.

"I don't think I'm ready for that."

"You are, Annabeth," she patted my hand before going back to an address book on the countertop, and she quickly copied something over to a blue post-it and ran back to me, "And I know where she is."

_**Percy,**_

"And I win!" Kate giggled as she threw her last playing card on the table.

How does she keep beating me?

At first, I was losing on purpose to make her smile, but this time I had actually _tried_ to win.

And then I looked at Kate's big grey eyes, and I remembered just who her grandmother was.

As I had before Annabeth had come back to town, I was babysitting Kate and her older brother, Sam. They were good kids, wonderful actually. They had Athena-patience, and it made me feel better that they were mature for their age, just like Noah.

Somehow, I have no idea how Noah was so mature when he had me_ and _JoJo for parents, but I blamed it on spending so much time with Christine.

"You beat me again, Katy-Cat," I shook my head as I put the two cards I had left back into the pile.

"What are 'Oah and Sam 'oing?" Kate asked as she turned around in her chair to look out to the little backyard, where Noah and Sam were running around in a game they called 'Pirate' where Sam was the general and Noah was the pirate captain, which I blamed on watching too much Johnny Depp.

"Playing pirate," I smiled down at Kate.

I had to admit that, even though I had sworn that Noah was the last child I was bringing into this world, I still kind of wished I had a baby girl like Kate.

"Pirate?" Kate raised her eyebrows, and I tried not to laugh.

"It's better than them playing soccer all the time."

Kate smiled and nodded quickly, sending her caramel brown curls into a frenzy.

"Does 'Oah always pway soccer, too?" Kate asked as she propped her elbows up on the table.

"All the time, how about Sammy?"

Kate nodded, pushing her hair out of her grey eyes.

"He takes it too sweriously," Kate fiddled with her owl necklace, a new present from her favorite Aunt Annabeth.

"Agreed."

Kate smiled, but then her face grew dim as she thought about something.

"Are you okay, Kate?"

"I've just 'een thinking about 'ou and Aunt Annabef."

I froze.

"What do you mean?"

"What 'appened wid you and Aunt Annabef?" the four year old asked me again, and I began to stutter.

"We used to know each other."

Kate knit her eyebrows in confusion.

"How can 'ou used to know 'omeone?"

"Well, we were best friends when we were kids," I shrugged, not sure how I could water this down without starting a world of trouble, "And we had a falling out a few years ago."

_Please don't ask anymore,_ I prayed.

"I 'ink I 'eard Aunt Annabef crying after that…" Kate toyed with her necklace a little more, "Were 'ou the reason she was crying?"

_Crying…_

I added that to a long list of the times Annabeth had shed a tear for me.

"I don't know, Kate," I lied.

I_ knew_ exactly why Annabeth was crying, but I liked to know that there was one person in this world who thought that I wasn't evil, even if it was a four year old who I'm pretty sure would have thought Kronos was nice if he let her win at Uno.

Kate smiled weakly and nodded.

"Do you wanna go out and play with the boys?"

She nodded and wriggled out of the chair at the dining table and started her adorable little toddle towards the backyard, where the boys were fighting over whether Noah had just won Pirate or if Sam had, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling as Kate broke up the fight with a single word.

Just like Annabeth used to…

I was happy that Noah had found friends in Sam and Kate, but sometimes that hurt.

Seeing them playing reminded me of how I used to be with Grover and Annabeth, our little group.

Sam was Grover, only Sam was more of leader than Grover, but he _did_ go pretty crazy when he had coffee.

Noah was me.

And Kate was so Annabeth it was almost scary.

I wished that the three of us could get back together.

That we could forget about everything, and we could just be friends again.

Grover spent most of his time juggling me and Annabeth, trying to act like he didn't, but I knew him too well.

And, honestly, I knew that Annabeth deserved to have our friends in our break-up.

I was the one who ended it. I was the one who went and had a kid, and I was the one who screwed up.

And, since I knew I would end up listening to Grover talk about how he wanted a baby but he wasn't sure if he was ready, I didn't reach for my phone to call him like I usually would have. Instead, I reached for my laptop.

Something in me still felt guilty for not showing up at the ice cream shop that day.

I knew that she hadn't showed up either, and I also knew that I had enough drama and didn't need to bring her in on it.

But I still felt upset that I would still have to wait to meet her.

**AtlanticBoy16: You on?**

**WiseGirl210: Yeah, what's up AB?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Babysitting. My son's best friend and his little sister are over. I've just been thinking, and I guess its just a habit to tell you about it now.**

**WiseGirl210: Thank God you have that habit, too! I was beginning to feel bad about telling you all my problems all the time! So, what are you thinking? Should I prepare to start laughing like a maniac or grab a box of tissues to cry?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Very funny. I'd say prepare to get bored.**

**WiseGirl210: :-D**

**AtlanticBoy16: I'm just missing my friends. We were this group, and, when I had my son, we just kind of broke up. And seeing my son with a group just like the one I used to have kind of stings. Is that weird?**

Well, it wasn't telling _everything_. But it wasn't telling a _lie._

**WiseGirl210: Hey, I miss my friends all the time. By the time I was finally making friends in LA, I decided to run away again. If it wasn't for my old best friend, I would have lost my mind back in NY. It's not weird, by the way. I grew up in New York, and I have to ignore almost half of the city to keep from missing my old life.**

**AtlanticBoy16: What was your old life like? Before you ran away?**

_WiseGirl210 is typing…_ blinked on the screen repeatedly, and I tried not to hold my breath as I waited.

**WiseGirl210: Great. After everything I had been through, I thought I had finally find my happily ever after, you know? And then I found out it was like one of those bad plays that people write to seem 'artsy'. You know, I took my niece and nephew to a play one time about Cinderella. In the end, the prince continued his womanizing ways, and, after a bad storm, they had an old-timey divorce and pretended she died. My niece almost cried.**

**AtlanticBoy16: Cinderella got a divorce?**

**WiseGirl210: I know right!**

I snickered and typed away another message.

**AtlanticBoy16: So, how was your sick day? Too sick to enjoy it.**

**WiseGirl210: Kind of. It's a long story, but I can assure you that I'm**_** not**_** enjoying it**

**AtlanticBoy210: I love my sick days. It's the one time that I can actually **_**sleep**_** without someone waking me up and asking to make breakfast or to tell me that the TV's not working. **

**WiseGirl210: You're insane, you know that?**

**AtlanticBoy210: Wait until you have kids. You'll agree with me in a heartbeat.**

**WiseGirl210: :-D**

I was smiling to myself as I began to type a response, but then the computer pinged with a new IM from WG.

**WiseGirl210: I've got to be somewhere soon. I'll talk to you soon, okay?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Sure**

_WiseGirl210 has logged off_.

I closed my laptop and went back to the kitchen, beginning to get started on the Honey Peanut Butter sandwiches that Sam and Noah love so much, and then I noticed someone walking past the part of my blinds that weren't shut.

Curiously, I headed towards the window and peeked the blinds open.

And there she was.

Annabeth Chase.

Considering Malcolm had told me that she was too sick to come into work, which was an understatement for Annabeth, she looked particularly good.

Her blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was wrapped up in a trench coat to keep the cold fall air from nipping at her like it was everyone else. Her heels clacked on the pavement, and she fiddled around for her keys in her over-sized purse, somehow maintaining to glare at a blue post-it like it was the devil.

As she found her keys, she took a long deep breath and fished a granola bar out of her tote, throwing it into the fire pit near the fountain that my neighbor, Alyssa, took care of. Annabeth got down on her knees, praying a prayer to the gods.

And then Annabeth adjusted her favorite dagger on the utility belt, hiding the belt with her coat, and then she was gone like that.

"Ercy?"

I dropped the bottle of honey, which was luckily closed.

"Hmm?" I asked as I reached down to pick up the bottle and looked towards the three children who were standing infront of me.

"What were you doing?" Sam asked, staring at me like I was crazy.

_Definitely Malcolm's son…_

"Uh, just looking out the window. I thought I saw something."

"Saw what?" Sam continued.

"_Something_," I tried to keep from strangling the kid.

Sam opened his mouth to keep pressuring me, but I knew the way to shut him up.

Bribery.

"Who wants McDonalds?"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Annabeth,**_

The cab pulled to a stop, and I stared with confusion to the driver.

"Are you sure this is it?"

"Definitely, Miss."

I looked out towards the urban building populated with twenty-three year olds, and I thought back to how Noah's mom was stuck in her past of being twenty, before she had Noah.

I didn't realize she was this _stuck_.

"Thanks," I paid the taxi driver and got out of the yellow cab, and everyone immediately turned to stare at me, their eyes wide.

I guess I understood why they were shocked.

Aside from my obvious age difference, I was also _that_ Annabeth Chase. The newly single thirty year old business woman who they kind of saw as sad.

There were many people who had often felt sorry for me because I was thirty, un-married, not dating, and without a child. Some had even reminded me of the _"ticking clock"_ and the short amount of time I had left to be able to live a normal life.

While I never understood why people were upset about things that I didn't care about, I was used to it by now.

I hesitantly approached one of the people staring at me, and I smiled weakly.

"Hi, do you know JoJo?"

"I know a lot of JoJo's," the girl rolled her eyes like I had just asked if she had a cell phone, and she put her cigarette out with her platform heels.

"Right, I'm _sure_ you do."

Her eyes narrowed at me, crossing her arms over her two-sizes too small tank top.

"The one I'm looking for has a son."

She knit her eyebrows in confusion and looked towards her friend, who shrugged.

"I think I know the girl you're talking about, but I don't think she has a kid," the first girl flipped her faux-blonde hair.

"Well, I see her with a kid every now and then," her friend shrugged.

"About six? Black hair? Blue eyes?"

"Yeah, that's the kid," the friend nodded, "That's _her_ son?"

The two girls started debating over how old JoJo was, one thinking she was twenty-six and the other thinking she was twenty-four, but I somehow managed to get a word in before the girls started tearing out each other's earrings.

"Where is she?"

"3-B," one of the young adults waved me off, no longer finding me interesting, and their argument began to shift to talking about the last episode of Gossip Girl, when I finally decided to start towards the brick building.

I had to admit that it was cool, something that I'm sure Alex made.

Malcolm went after Modern-Miami architecture.

Alex went for young and urban.

Jon-Jon ran the suburban dream department.

And I was always the historical kind, wanting something that people will still marvel at in twenty years.

I followed into the building with a pizza man, and I took the stairs instead of the long line for the elevator, but I still stopped myself before I opened the door to the third floor, taking a long deep breath so that I didn't look like a mess in front of the woman who had cheated with my boyfriend and conceived his child.

I considered running back down the stairs and forgetting this all.

But I knew I had to do it.

If I didn't, I would always wish I did.

I unbuttoned my coat, and I started towards the loft that was under 3-B.

As I knocked on the recycled door, I held my breath as I began to picture her.

I knew only knew that she had the genetics for blue eyes and that she was blonde, whether it came from a bottle I didn't know.

"Coming!"

Wait a minute, don't I know that voice?

Before I could place the voice with the face, the door swung open.

Oh my god…

"_But she's so annoying," Percy wrapped his arm around my waist, leaning on me as we kept walking from the library, where I had been tutoring him for finals._

"_She's not _that _bad_."

_I wasn't sure if I was lying or not._

_JoJo had never been wonderful but never _awful_._

_Her name was actually Johanna Harriet, though I don't think she's been called that since her parents first filled out her birth certificate. Percy had met her during his mandatory math class, and he hadn't liked her on the spot. But she had liked _him_._

_And I guess I felt sorry for her in some weird way._

_Percy raised his eyebrows, smiling as he thought about it._

"_You can't get out of it, huh?"_

_I shook my head, moaning as I looked towards the blonde, or the brunette who was trying to make everyone think she was a blonde._

_I waved towards her, and she nodded, speeding up her walk as she looked at Percy, who I knew she had a crush on._

_Maybe I should have been jealous. But this was _JoJo_. I didn't think I had much competition since he couldn't stand being in the same room as her._

"_Hey, JoJo," I smiled as I adjusted my BoHo tote on my shoulder, making Percy have to release me._

"_Hey, Annabeth," JoJo smiled at Percy, "Hey, Percy."_

_He smiled weakly and nodded._

"_Are you ready to go?" I quickly asked before JoJo started staring at Percy._

"_Uh, yeah. Got the bikini in the bag," she nodded towards her canvas tote, still smiling as I waved for Rachel to come over since she was supposed to drive us._

"JoJo?"

She let out a high-pitched scream and dropped a mug of coffee.

"Y-you!" JoJo shrank back, pointing an accusing finger at me like I been the one to do wrong.

"You're Noah's mom!"

JoJo stared at me, unbelieving that it was really me.

And I couldn't believe it was her.

Had I done this?

If Percy had his way, he wouldn't have even talked to JoJo, but I didn't want to be mean to the poor girl. So, I brought her around every now and then, and I had kind of brought us into our circle of friends, though we had never really let her in.

"What are you doing here?" JoJo demanded, coming closer so I could get a good look at her.

I instantly understood why those girls had thought she was younger.

If you really looked, you could tell her real age, but the first look showed you a twenty-four year old.

Her hair was dyed bright blonde, with a pumpkin orange fat streak. Her face was covered in make-up to make her look younger, and she was wearing clothes at least one size to small if not more. Her black jeans must have made it impossible for her to breathe, and JoJo must have been covered in Spanx to be able to get into her tight grey marching-band-like jacket.

"You had an affair with my boyfriend and got pregnant!"

"Why are you here!" JoJo screamed, seeming scared.

She had never thought I would come, and I was wondering why I had.

"I just told you! _You had an affair with my boyfriend and got pregnant!_"

One of the neighbors from next door looked out their door, and JoJo moaned but pulled me inside.

I suddenly felt like running back to Percy and telling him to take custody away from JoJo.

Having helped baby-proof for when Sam was born, I saw every child-hazard as I walked past it, and I couldn't even keep count as I took notice of everything.

And I had only come into the living room.

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to know what happened, JoJo," I crossed my arms.

It was clear that JoJo never thought that she would have to tell me. That she would never have to explain her choices and how she had ended up breaking us up.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" JoJo complained, plopping down on her couch, holding her head as she thought about it, "I just-I just wanted _him_. For a little bit at least. I knew I could never have him like you did. But I still wanted him so badly. I didn't want this though!"

She motioned around.

"I didn't want a_ kid_. Do you have any idea what that did to my life? I know this sounds horrible, but it was a relief to have Percy take custody. I can't be a mom," JoJo hugged her torso.

"I don't feel sorry for you, JoJo. I just want to know what happened," I tried to keep myself from killing her.

She had done all this and expected me to feel _sorry_ for her.

"It was about six years ago…" JoJo began.

* * *

_**Six Years Ago,**_

_**JoJo:**_

I watched as my friends all began to leave with the guys they had found in the club, and I tried to keep from getting depressed. But I was ready to give up and just go home already. All of my roommates would be off with some guy by now, and I could have the apartment to myself.

"On the house, JoJo," my old friend, Bo, smiled at me as she finished a drink for another customer. She and I had been in college together, and she had this thing about never making me pay for drinks, even though I could definitely afford it now that I worked for that magazine. Either a guy paid or it was on the house.

"Thanks, Bo," I smiled as I slid off the bar stool, and I was weaving my way through the crowd when I saw him.

_Percy Jackson._

I felt my heartbeat speed up.

Percy Jackson was a god, I swear. I had been in love with him since the day I had first met him at Freshman Orrientation about five years ago. But he had always been in love with someone else, Annabeth Chase.

Annabeth Chase had been his best friend since they were twelve, and they had started dating when they were sixteen. And she was _perfect_. Her golden blonde hair was natural, something I wasn't lucky enough to have, and it never took any work. She was always in perfect shape, and she was brilliant. She was kind and strong. And she was also in love with Percy.

Since the day I first saw her with him, I knew that I would never have Percy.

Aside from her perfection, he loved her. _Everything_ about her. And sometimes I couldn't even tell if he _liked_ me.

Percy had moved in with Annabeth a few months ago, and I had heard rumors about how he was thinking about proposing soon. And I had ignored hearing anything about them because I knew it would hurt too much to hear that it was finally over.

That he would never fall in love with me. That we wouldn't have some cute little story to tell our kids one day about how he had been in love with someone else when he met me and almost married her.

I already knew that none of that would ever happened, but getting proof of that would hurt too much.

I stopped and kept staring at Percy, who was stumbling as Grover started to walk him towards the door.

Even though he was completely wasted, he still somehow looked amazing. His black hair was perfectly cut and out of his gorgeous sea green eyes, and, even from afar, I could see that the Navy had kept him up in his physical perfection.

Seeing that he was almost towards the door, I had new found fire to push through the crowd to get to the two boys.

"Percy?"

Percy didn't seem to hear me.

"Hey, Grover!" I waved to him, and I hurriedly came over to the two. And Grover tried to keep from showing his annoyance at me being there.

"Hey, JoJo," Grover smiled weakly.

"What's up, guys? I haven't seen you in forever," I smiled, pushing my platinum blonde hair behind my ear, being careful to not get it stuck in my hoop earrings after how embarrassing it had been the last time that happened.

"Well, Juniper actually called with something about her sister, and I really need to get home and get Percy here home," Grover nodded towards Percy, who was clearly drunk.

"I can do it."

Grover knit his eyebrows in confusion.

"I can get him home. It sounds like things are really important," I tried, and Grover seemed hesitant.

He knew that Annabeth would kill him, but he didn't have too much of a choice.

Finally, he nodded.

"You know where he lives, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, and Grover seemed to be wondering how but he never asked.

And I wasn't about to offer how I had freaked out and tracked them down when I found out they moved in together.

"Just make sure he gets home," Grover told me, and I nodded quickly before he would change his mind.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay, Percy?"

"I'm fine, Grover," Percy slurred, and Grover shook his head.

"Make sure he gets home, okay, JoJo," Grover told me a little forcefully, and I agreed as I latched on to Percy, trying to get him from falling down in case he was more drunk than I thought.

Grover finally left, making it clear that he didn't trust me but had to.

"I'm really fine, JoJo. He's being a drama queen," Percy's breath reeked of alcohol, but I didn't take too much notice of that as I laced my fingers through this.

"Let's get you home," I told him as I began to pull him through the large crowd and out to the street.

Summer was just ending, and my job had become a little boring as summer pulled to a close.

I worked for a magazine for young people, telling them all the hottest clubs and cutest clothes, and I had to admit that I loved my job. It got me into all the hot parties and with all the fun friends, and it kept me in New York instead of having to back to my boring hometown back in California.

As a little kid, I had always wanted to be here, and I had specifically only applied to colleges in New York though I never told my mom that. I didn't get into many of them, but I had been ecstatic when I had gotten into this one. I didn't like to go home anymore, so I rarely did despite how my mother was always trying to get me to.

And maybe that was why I liked Percy so much. He was a real New Yorker. He was born here, and he had been here his entire life. He knew it like the back of his hand, and it all seemed so amazing to have grown up here.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked as Percy and I managed to the quiet part of the street.

Percy began to tell me everything.

About how he and Annabeth had just moved in together, something I already knew, and how everything had been fine until one day he and Annabeth had started fighting. About how she had all of a sudden just left. She just packed a bag and was out the door.

Percy told me about how he had tried to find her and apologize, but Annabeth knew how to hide. So, he just sat around and waited for her to come back for the last week, and he ended the story with telling me that, being the good friend he was, Grover decide to take him out to cheer him up.

"She'll come back," I told Percy as he finished, and he nodded.

We both knew she would. _Eventually_.

She loved him too much to stay forever, but I guess he needed to remember that she could go.

"So, what's been up with you?" Percy asked, leaning on me as we kept walking.

"Great, just great. I love my job. I finally have a big enough pay check to stop having four roommates, and things are going good," I wasn't lying, but I wasn't sure if I was telling the truth either. This had been the life I had been dreaming about since I was a little girl and my parents brought me to New York City to see my Aunt Pamela in her first Broadway show.

We had stayed for only three days before getting back on a plane for California, but I had fallen in love with New York City. And there was this one girl in a coffee shop.

She was blonde, talking with her friends as they sipped at their flavored iced coffees, gossiping about the latest clubs and news from their fun friends. And I had suddenly wanted to be her.

And I was her now.

My hair was no longer dull brown but light blonde. I wore urban and hip clothes, and I had all those fun friends to talk about as we sat around for coffee and gossiped on our all-the-rage smartphones that we had to switch out all the time to keep up-to-date.

But something felt missing, and I was still trying to find what it was.

And the only answer I could come up with was Percy.

When I had been a freshman, I planned my life out, and I had gotten almost everything out of that dream. Everything _but_ Percy.

"Well congrats, JoJo," Percy smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.

I had never liked my real name of Johanna, which is why I made JoJo my name when I reinvented myself.

"Thanks, Perce."

My heart fell as I realized we had gotten to his apartment building.

"Let's get you to bed, okay, Percy?"

He nodded and was somehow able to punch in the code to get into the building, but I still stuck around to help him up to his apartment on the fifth level.

The elevator ride was quiet, almost _unbearably_ quiet.

I liked to hear Percy talk, even if he was insanely drunk. And I knew that it wouldn't be long until he married Annabeth and I wouldn't be able to look at him without my heart breaking again. I knew I'd get over it one day, but that day wouldn't come fast enough.

"This is me," Percy nodded towards the door, and he tried to jam the key in the door, though he just kept hitting the metal door instead.

I finally took the key from him and unlocked it for him.

"Thanks, JoJo," he kissed my cheek, and, despite the fact that his breath still reeked of Tequila, my brain went fuzzy.

And Percy was about to head in and go to sleep when I suddenly couldn't let him go.

Pulling him close to me, I suddenly kissed him.

He was shocked, but I didn't pay too much notice. Kissing him was just as amazing as I had always dreamed it would be, and I couldn't think of anything as I kept kissing him. Except for the fact that I could feel he was about to push me away when the alcohol he had been downing pushed past logic, and he started to kiss me back.

I should have stopped there, I knew I should have.

It was wrong-so wrong!

He was in love with someone else, and I was friends with her. Not close friends but _friends_! And I was taking advantage of Percy when he was like this…

But I couldn't stop.

This would be the only opportunity I would ever have.

Lacing my fingers through his, I didn't stop kissing him as I pulled him into the apartment and closed the door behind us.

_**Percy: (Still Six Years Ago)**_

I groaned in pain as the morning light peered into my eyes.

_How drunk was I last night?_

My eyes still closed, I felt around on the end table for the bottle of Aspirin I always kept there, and I dry swallowed it.

Waiting for the pill to kick in, I tried to remember what happened last night. But I couldn't remember anything after Grover getting a call from Juniper and leading me through the crowd to go home.

What day was it?

Knowing that it was Sunday, I pulled the blankets back over my head and settled back down to sleep until noon. But then my foot wandered over to the other side of the bed, and I jumped as I felt a foot.

Pulling my head back over the covers and facing the bright light, all I could see was blonde.

Was Annabeth back?

Had she sneaked in last night and just fallen asleep before waking me up to tell me she was coming home for good now?

I was beginning to smile like a little boy on Christmas when the girl turned over.

I gasped for breath as I began to panic.

That wasn't Annabeth.

It was _JoJo._

Did we…?

But we couldn't have.

When would I have seen her?

As my heart was racing, I could suddenly remember it all.

Her agreeing to walk me home. Telling her all about how Annabeth had just up and left me. Not being able to open the door and her helping me with the lock. And then thanking her by kissing her on the cheek, which made her turn the shade of a tomato.

And then where it got horrible.

She kissed me… and I gave in.

I tried to stop the rest of the memories, but they came any way.

"What have I done?" I whispered to myself.

Slowly, JoJo's blue eyes began to flutter open, and she knit her eyebrows in confusion.

"Are you okay, Percy?"

No.

But I couldn't say that because I was too busy freaking out.

How could I do this?

How could _JoJo_ do this to her friend?

How could _we _do this to Annabeth?

She'd kill me.

She might _actually_ leave me this time. For _good_ this time.

Not like how I always knew she'd come back and that everything would be fine after her anger soothed, but this might be it. I might really be without Annabeth forever.

I was about to start crying when JoJo sat up in bed.

"Percy, what's wrong?"

"I can't believe this happened. What have we done? Oh God, what have we done?" I panicked, feeling my breathing begin to labor as I thought it all over.

JoJo seemed disappointed.

I had always known she had a crush on me, but did she really think that this would make me choose her over Annabeth?

"We had a lot to drink, Percy. It was a mistake," JoJo finally told me, and I nodded, "It never should have happened, and it'll never happen again."

I nodded again, and JoJo kept going.

"Let's just pretend it never happened, okay?"

"You're right," I nodded, and she smiled weakly.

"How about you take a shower, and I'll get dressed and get out of here?"

I nodded and did as she said.

I tried to turn the water up so that I couldn't hear JoJo talking to herself as she got dressed, cursing at herself and complaining about how I still didn't love her. And it was a relief when I heard the heavy front door close and know she was gone.

I took a long shower, trying to scrub the smell of JoJo's perfume and Tequila off me, and a wave of missing Annabeth hit me as I rambled through the bathroom cabinet for a razor and came across a pair of owl earrings that she had left.

I could still remember the day I had given them to her when we first moved in together. On our anniversary, I had wrapped up a small gift, and Annabeth glared at me about our rule of no gifts. But she opened it any way, and I could still smile at the shock she had as she brought out New York City key chain with a newly made key on it and a note on the bottom saying, _"Will You Move In With Me? –Seaweed Brain"_, in my horrible handwriting.

It was cute playing house together.

Painting walls. Moving in furniture. Unpacking boxes. Taking pictures of us with our new lease.

And the fights came and went.

I could barely even remember what we had been fighting about when she left, and I was imagining the fight we would have when she found out about what JoJo and I had done.

To try to forget Annabeth, I began a pot of coffee and turned on the TV.

But, as I sat there, I could only think of Annabeth.

Finally, I brought out my cell phone and wrote a text.

_I miss you_.

I hesitated but finally pressed send on the cell phone.

Annabeth was my best friend, and, if I needed anyone right now, I needed my best friend.

"I miss you, too."

I looked up and there she was.

"Annabeth," I couldn't help but wrap her up in my arms and hold her as closely as possible.

Annabeth dropped her bag and buried her face into my shoulder blade, her salty tears falling onto my shirt, but I didn't care. She was back and that was all that mattered.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I-I just…" Annabeth trailed off.

"Shh, it's okay. It was my fault."

Annabeth shook her head but gave up on trying to blame herself, getting up on her tippy toes to put her forehead against mine.

"I love you, Percy."

I opened my mouth to tell her everything, but I couldn't do it.

"I love you, too, Annabeth."

* * *

_**So there is what happened all those years ago.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Annabeth,**_

"We were friends," I stared across at JoJo, "We weren't close. But we were friends. I helped you study for finals. You would have flunked out without me."

I began to feel my anger boil, but, for once, it wasn't aimed at Percy.

JoJo hung her head, acting like a seven year old girl who was scared of how her parents would punish her.

"I wanted him," her voice was small as she rubbed her arm nervously.

"But he was mine!" I screamed, "How could you?"

JoJo looked up at me, not sure how to handle it.

"You ruined everything! And you brought a child into this world," I stood, massaging my temples, "And you're not even a good mom for him! Noah needs you!"

"I-I can't be a _mom_! Percy, he can be a dad!" JoJo tried, "He loves Noah, and Noah loves him. And…"

"But he needs a mom!" I cut her off, and JoJo stared at me, "Are you really that selfish? All you wanted was to be with him at least once, and you don't care at all what happened after that! Do you have any clue what you've done?"

Her blue eyes widened, and I couldn't stop now that I had started.

"I was-I was in love with him. And then you-you ruined everything. And you haven't even paid the price for it! There is a little kid out there who told me that he sometimes doesn't like his mom and that she forgets about him! And there is a man who is trying _everything_ to help his child because he desperately wants to be the baby his mom wants!"

JoJo stared at me, unable to believe that I was really saying this all.

"Noah said that?"

"He's a _person_, JoJo."

I was picking up my tote from the floor when I took another look around the room.

There were pictures everywhere.

Weird modern art.

Pictures of JoJo with her buddies.

Pictures of her with work accomplishments.

And a small picture with her looking normal in front of a typical suburban house, standing with people who seem to be her parents and holding a baby swaddled in a Mickey Mouse blanket, who I assumed was Noah.

I remembered her parents well.

I had met them once when they had come to see their youngest daughter at college.

They were nice people.

Her mother was gorgeous, with dark black curls and bright blue eyes, and she looked like what JoJo used to look like. She was the proud mother of three, a son named Jim and another daughter named Amy. And her husband was similar. He was getting wrinkles from smiling all the time, and he was always holding his wife's hand.

I might not of remembered them if JoJo hadn't made such a deal about them coming. To sooth her parents, she got rid of her skintight jeans and borrowed some clothes from me. She even dyed her hair brown again, and she was normal for a while, making sure that her parents never had to know that their perfect little daughter wasn't perfect.

I was sure that this was probably one of the only times that Noah had ever seen his grandparents, and I was wondering what version of the story JoJo told them.

"Do you have any pictures of Noah?" I asked finally, and JoJo hesitated, searching around the room for a picture of her only child.

But we both knew the answer.

There weren't any, or, if there were, they weren't on display like they should have been.

"Goodbye, JoJo," I pulled my tote back on my shoulder, and she stared at me.

JoJo didn't say anything though.

She let me leave, slamming the door behind me.

This time, the young adults stared at me again but with fear this time, and they all parted their ways in the elevator to let me in.

But I was too busy thinking about everything I had just heard to notice that.

So, Percy hadn't been cheating. And we were broken up at the time. And he was drunk.

But it still didn't justify everything, like not telling me, though I really wanted it to. I wanted this newfound information to make everything okay again. I wanted to do the same thing I had done that day six years ago, forgotten my anger and just run into his arms.

I began to think about how Percy had spent these last six years. I knew he had been raising a baby basically by himself, but did he ever look for me? Until about a year ago, it was _hard_ to find me but not impossible.

Had he ever tried?

Or had he accepted defeat a long time ago?

I knew I had.

I wasn't sure what I thought anymore though, only that I knew that I didn't want to let Noah slip away.

He trusted me, and he _liked_ me. And, even if Percy is the best dad ever, he couldn't take away the need for a mom. And, while our DNA had nothing to do with each other, I still wanted to be the mom he wanted and needed.

But first I'd have to see Percy without screaming at him…

Just as I was begging to deflate from realizing it would be almost impossible to sooth everything I had stirred up, the elevator door opened, and I was caught in a shuffle to get out quickly.

Living in this apartment was living in New York.

And I was beginning to miss my apartment where you were living in the suburbs.

It was starting to get dark as I stepped out to the street, and I heard girls moaning about how much it sucked that JoJo had just texted that she was staying in tonight as I was calling a cab. By the time that the girl who had told me where JoJo lived was spreading gossip that I did something to make her cancel a night out, my ride had finally gotten here.

I quickly told him my address, and I looked back at my phone to see what time it was.

_Too late to go see Percy…_

And too early to go to bed.

I really wanted to tell AB about everything that had just happened, but, somehow, I couldn't at the same time. I wasn't even sure that I could put this all into words, and, anyway, he'd probably think he was innocent. And I don't even know how to describe what I was really mad at.

He never told me…

We told each other _everything_, even though that wasn't always the wisest thing to do, and he didn't tell me _this._

And Percy always looked for me, even breaking in on the Artemis Hunters when they were given the quest to find me. But he didn't look for me this time, and, even if he did look and found me, he never did anything about it. He just left me in LA to never know what had really happened.

I found my eyes were watering when the cab pulled up to my apartment building, where only the lights to Percy's apartment were on, and, as I started towards my own apartment, I wanted to go in there. To curl around Percy and watch _Clash of the Titans_ (the original, he hated the new one) for the millionth time. To be how we used to be.

But I walked past it and opened the door to my lonely apartment, flipping on the lights as I shucked off my shoes, jacket, and jeans. Turning on a Nora Ephron romcom, which were always the best, I started towards the bedroom and slid into my favorite pajama bottoms, a pair I had stolen from Henry.

By the time I had pressed play on the movie, I had already ordered Chinese food and logged on to my laptop to talk to AB.

_**Percy,**_

I ran my fingers through my son's hair, thinking back to the day he had been born.

It still felt like yesterday when I had first looked into his beautiful blue eyes and saw him smile. I remembered that my mother cried and hugged me. My father blessed him, and Paul's smile was a mile wide. It took another three months before JoJo finally took Noah to see her parents though, but they did the exact same thing.

That was back when she was really Noah's mom. When she had custody of him, she was okay with being his mom. She changed diapers, fed him at four in the morning, and everything else that came along with a newborn. But, when I took custody back, JoJo remembered her old life.

The one where she partied all the time. Depended on work. And gossiped all the time.

And she went back to it.

Sometimes I felt guilty that it was my fault that JoJo went like that.

If I hadn't taken custody, there would have been problems, too. But she would still be his mom.

I was still thinking about how adorable Noah was when he was a baby when I heard the sound of his faint snoring.

It was early for Noah to be going to bed, but he had also had a long soccer practice today.

I picked up my son, turning off the _Cat in the Hat_ while I was at it, and I carried the five year old to his bedroom.

It felt wrong sometimes to see this five year old instead of the infant I met that day. Or the toddler who moved in with me and was impressed by the simplest of junk food.

He was growing up so fast, _too _fast.

I worried that, if I closed my eyes for too long, I would open them again and this would be his high school graduation. And that, if I did again, this would be the day he introduced me to his girlfriend and told me that he loved her more than anything and wanted to marry her. And, if I did again, it would be his wedding day. And, if I did it one more time, he would find that thing he did love more than her, their baby.

It hurt too much to bear as I thought about my baby not being my baby anymore. That he would grow up and leave me someday and that I wouldn't be able to even try to stop him because I knew he had to do it. I didn't want to see my son get in as much trouble as I did, but I knew he would. And I knew that I had to let him.

I kissed the top of Noah's head as I brought up his favorite blanket, a Mickey Mouse blanket that his grandmother had bought him when JoJo took them to see baby Noah. His grandparents had bought a lot of things for Noah since he was their only grandson, baby furniture, clothes, diapers, just about everything. JoJo told me that they went into a frenzy shopping because they wanted to spoil him, and she had seemed mad about it. But I had always liked that they loved Noah like that, even though they hated me for the story JoJo told them about how Noah was born.

Turning on his favorite sailboat nightlight, I started towards the living room again, where my laptop was beginning to ping with a new email.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**Dear AB,**

**What is it about exes? I mean, it didn't work out, but, somehow, you have this desire to think about them all the time and freak out when you see them. For the last six years, I have been planning on what I would say to my big ex, the one that got away, and I have never actually said it, despite the fact that he seems to be everywhere I turn now.**

**Do you ever do that?**

**And do you ever think about going back to an ex?**

**There is this one guy, I loved him, and I know I can't go back to him with all of the history there. But, sometimes, I just want to give in and accept defeat.**

**Yours Truly,**

**WG**

I smiled to myself and began working on my email back.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**A million times YES.**

**I have been planning how I would apologize to this girl, let her know that I made mistakes and it had nothing to do with her. But, whenever I see her, I just can't say it.**

**And everywhere you turn?**

**Sounds like it sucks.**

**Going back to an ex…**

**Every day, but, with the one that got away from me, I'm the one who left. So I mainly think about what would have happened if I hadn't left. But I really don't think I could ever change anything because I might not have my son.**

**And I don't know what I would do without him.**

**Speaking of that, I had a break down earlier as I thought about the day my son was born. It feels like it was only yesterday that he was that little baby, gurgling with a smile. And it's already been five years…**

**Dang, I went all dad again.**

**;-D**

**-AB**

I pressed send and thought long and hard about a topic I rarely let myself think of.

Annabeth.

I wasn't sure what I felt worse about, not telling her or making the mistake.

I knew I should have told her the second she got back, but I was scared that she would leave for real, that she wouldn't come back. And I couldn't lose her…

I knew I also should have confessed when I found out that JoJo was pregnant, but I just felt so guilty…

And now look where I was…

_Ping._

A smile spread as I opened the email.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**Don't worry. My brother does that all the time.**

**There will be days and he'll just suddenly start talking about his two kids. We could just be sitting at lunch and he'll be talking about how his daughter reminds him so much of his wife, and he'll laugh about how his son is so bossy sometimes. And then he'll just start bawling about how his little kids won't be little kids forever.**

**It's almost depressing to watch.**

**My sister-in-law laughs about it, but my brother just goes crazy.**

**It's actually kind of funny to see my brother like this since I always knew him as the teenager who swore up and down that he was a career man, not a father. Do you have any siblings?**

**-WG**

I quickly typed back.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**I have a half-sister, Haley. She lives in Bermuda for her job (she's a marine biologist), and she's about six years younger than me. I love her to death, even though we only saw each other during the summer, and my son adores her.**

**And I sort of have a half-brother. He's my cousin, but I've always seen him as my half-brother.**

**But I was always the only child in my household, though my step-father was always trying to convince my mom to adopt.**

**I go 'Dad' all the time because I only have the one, and I'm always worrying that I'm screwing it up as I go along. And most of my friends don't have kids, so they just stare at me as I begin to express my worries about how my son will turn out, except for my one friend who leans on her husband and says, "But don't you wanna have a baby, too, Honey?"**

**-AB**

Oh Juniper.

I was surprised that Grover hadn't given up already had agreed to have a child.

When we were younger, Grover was always the one to want a baby, saying he wanted a little girl that would look like her, who they wanted to name Willa, and a little boy who looked like him. But now that Juniper is thinking that this is the time, he doesn't know what to do.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**I have a friend like that, too!**

**Her husband wanted a baby for years, but, when she decided that she was ready to start trying, he got scared, not that I blame him. But I guess he finally sees the cons of being a parent, not just the wonderful moments that he used to.**

**I've always kind of been scared of parenthood for a lot of reasons. I know it's rewarding and everything, but still…**

**-WG**

I felt my heart break as I remember that Annabeth had told me that.

"I've always been kind of scared of parenthood for a lot of reasons. I know it's rewarding and everything, but still…. What if I can't parent? What if I screw everything up? What if…" Annabeth had told me, pulling out her golden dagger, and she didn't have to finish it, "I've made a lot of people mad. I couldn't give them something to get back at me with…"

I could still remember the December night that she had told me that, sitting Indian style with a cup of steaming hot chocolate as she curled up in her blanket by the beach. If I closed my eyes, I could even see it, us sitting by the lake as we listened carefully for people since we were out after curfew. A son of Apollo had just had a son, Will Solace Alexander, after the deceased brother of his, and I had asked Annabeth what she thought about having a child one day. I had known that she wouldn't immediately say yes, but I had never thought that she would be so against it.

"Would it be okay if it was just us?" Annabeth had asked, and I nodded, kissing the top of her head. Smiling, she leaned back onto me, and she whispered, "I love you."

I was about to be succumbed with the memory when I heard Noah.

"Daddy?"

My eyes flew open, and Noah was rubbing his tired eyes.

"I had a nightmare, can you read me a story?" Noah asked, his faced stained with tears from the dream.

"Of course, Baby," I picked up my son and kissed the side of his head, "What was your nightmare about?"

* * *

_**I went to the pool earlier because today is our last day on vacation, and, as soon as we got there, the wind started up, and a table almost fell on me, earning me the help of the cutest guys at the pool. So, apparently, it was God's plan that I get back to writing this chapter.**_

_**And have you heard about the Colorado shooting?**_

_**Everywhere I go, I hear about it, and it's heart breaking.**_

_**Where I live, everyone basically has a gun (I currently live in a hunting town, and the South sterotype of everyone in the south having a gun is actually pretty true around here), and we shoot the guy who is threating us (Did you hear about that Huddle House guy who got killed during an armed robbery by a seventy year old guy who was getting robbed in Spartanburg? I was from there). And I guess I'm so used to hearing that the pedestrians got the guy first that I forgot that some people aren't that lucky…**_

_**And Obama calling a press conference immediately and trying to make it a political thing is sick! There are kids **_**dead**_**. And you made it about your campaign! I don't care if not doing that would have cost you the election, that was low! And desperate! You are such an âne!**_

_**Excuse my French… **_**literally.**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Percy,**_

As Noah got his book bag and soccer stuff out of the back of my car, I downed a shot of five hour energy.

_Alyssa Mycroft._

I knew her in school. She was the sweetest girl in Goode High, where she met and fell in love with the sweetest guy, Chester Mycroft. She became a teacher and married Chester, and I had been lucky when she became my son's teacher.

Alyssa was always nice to me, doing her best to meet my busy schedule and taking an interest in Noah.

So, when I got a call last night that a fellow teacher had come down with the flu and that I would have to teach a class during my lunch hour where I was planning on having a parent-teacher conference with Alyssa.

I called her, and, being the sweet woman she was, she told me that she would meet me early this morning and that Coach Hawthorne would take care of Noah since he was in earlier helping Sam and a few others this morning.

"Good wuck, Daddy."

I ruffled his hair and, though I knew he didn't want me to, led him to the soccer field, where a few soccer players were doing some drills.

"Noah!" Sam waved, sitting on the bench since his ankle was still kind of acting up.

"Bye, Daddy," Noah ran off before I could say goodbye, tying up his cleats as he sat beside his best friend.

A smile on my face, I quickly started towards the classroom, where Alyssa Mycroft waited.

The school was pristine, cute, and cold.

It was the best school for Noah, and I never regretted forking out the expensive tuition to make sure that he got a good education. But, like always when I was in an empty school, I felt sick. It felt wrong, like I shouldn't be here yet.

Like it was dead or something.

And I had seen too many dead bodies in my time.

Knocking on the door gently, I waited for Alyssa to call me in.

"Percy!" her laugh was definite, and I smiled to myself as I pushed the door open.

As soon as I walked in, Alyssa wrapped her arms around me and hugged me too tightly, and her twins kicked me happily.

Alyssa looked just as beautiful as she had when we were fifteen.

Her light blonde-brown hair was tied up in a bun, and, before she got pregnant with her twins, she had weighed exactly the same as she did then. And Chester was still one of the nicest men you would ever meet.

Annabeth and I had always talked about how, if anyone deserved happiness, they did.

"Hey, Lyssa," I smiled as she set me go, going back to her desk, where she took a bite of a chocolate chip cookie.

The rest of the school felt dead, but this room felt like what I would always want a child classroom to be like.

It smelled of warm, freshly-made cookies. There were cute little posters with times tables and little says on the wall. The curtains were hiding the dark sky but usually let in the bright light and views of the soccer field instead of the jammed city. And it just felt… _homey._

"Thanks for letting me meet you this morning," I smiled weakly, trying not to yawn as I squeezed into one of the desks.

"Oh, it was fine! Chess is three and can't understand the idea of sleeping through the night. And the twins," she looked down to her growing abdomen, "They also can't understand the concept of sleep. Chester, the sweetheart, keeps trying to help, buying me natural sleep aids and won't hurt the baby and special health teas. But I can't stop being mad at him, thanks to these hormones. God, sometimes I could just kill Chester for this thing."

I was trying not to laugh as Alyssa realized she said that out loud.

"Um, Noah," Alyssa quickly changed the subject, "He's doing great. His grades are up. He's happier. But… I know you hate to hear this Percy, but some kids just need a mom. You are an amazing parent and everything, he loves you to death, but…"

I nodded, knowing where this as going.

I had heard this a lot.

"Is JoJo completely a lost cause?"

I thought about it for a long time but finally nodded.

"How about Sally? She was a wonderful mother figure on you!"

"She _was_ my mother."

Alyssa waved that off.

"Maybe I could even step in," Lyssa began, trying to think of the perfect plan.

"Alyssa, you have a three year old on twins on the way. It's fine," I quickly reassured her.

Lyssa smiled weakly.

She was always trying to help people, sometimes a little too much.

"I…I can handle it. Anything else you wanted to talk about, Alyssa?"

"I was talking to Noah a while ago, and he brought up someone…"

I began to pray it wasn't who I thought it was.

"When did she get back, Percy?"

"A while ago," I shrugged though I had the dates memorized.

"Hates me. But good…"

"I heard she called off her wedding."

Did everyone know about Henry?

I guess they all thought that I was looking for her and already knew.

I began to wish, for the millionth time, that I had actually looked for her…

I did for about a year, but then Noah was born and it sunk it.

I wouldn't have Annabeth again.

So, I closed the browser and spent time with my son, which was about the time that Annabeth's fame started to rise.

"Do you think it was because of…?" Lyssa couldn't finish it.

"Me?" I asked, shocked that she would bring up such a thing.

"Love isn't lost because of anger, Percy."

Then why didn't she come back before now?

Try to find out why I left?

Instead, she ran away to California.

Wait a minute, was I blaming _her_?

"Alyssa, she got engaged. She was going to marry someone else."

"But she didn't! This is just like that Nora Ephron movie! Sleepless in Seattle! She was engaged to someone perfect but she decided to go after her one true love and come to New York! Percy, Annabeth is Meg Ryan, and you are Tom Hanks! Don't you get it, Percy?"

"The only thing I get is that you've been watching way too many Romantic Comedy's for your own good. If life was a movie, I would have a guy with a teleprompter following me around at all times to make sure I didn't say anything stupid. And, considering my track record, I am proof that life isn't a movie."

"What about Soul Surfer? That was real!"

"You want me to lose my arms?"

Looking back on it, I probably shouldn't have made an already angry pregnant woman mad.

I dodged the book she threw at me but moved just in time for her to throw her cookie in my face.

_**Annabeth,**_

Throwing the burned meal I tried to make into the trash can, I searched through the pantry and finally began to make a peanut butter sandwich.

I had never been a _good_ cook, always throwing that off to Percy. But it felt like I had actually gotten _worse_ after Henry tried to teach me how to cook.

For the first time really, I actually began to miss Henry.

Maybe it was because we were together for four years and we had planned on being together forever.

But, since the split, I had often just had anger for him.

Ever since the announcement, he had been everywhere, clinging on to it for the sake of his career.

The logical side of me told me that he had to if he was going to follow his life plan of a good morning cooking show by the time he was thirty-eight, he had to do something. And, unlike him, I didn't care about or want the fame. This had always been his domain, not mine.

But the girl in me wanted to kill him for making our break-up the cover story on US Weekly.

Biting into the sandwich, I reclined back onto the sofa, where I had blueprints for the latest skyscraper needing to be built, and I began to study it.

_Was I always this boring?_ I began to wonder.

I couldn't have.

But I was now…

Gods, when did I grow up and become like my _dad_?

I was about to moan out of annoyance when the doorbell rang.

_If this is Juniper coming to ask more ideas to convince Grover to want to have a child…._

Throwing the whole weak crust of the sandwich into the trash, I ran my fingers through my hair before opening the door.

I gasped.

_Noah._

Noah?

_Noah!_

"Hey, Annabeth," Noah smiled weakly up at me.

I couldn't find words.

I knew this wasn't impossible or anything since he lived next door, but I had never thought about something like this happening.

Noah looked just as adorable as he had been before, maybe even more adorable in his alien pajamas.

Looking at him again, I could finally see how much he looked like his father.

Sure, he had inherited a few things from his mother.

Her blue eyes and her nose.

But, other than that, it was clear who his father was, Perseus Jackson. He even seemed to have the same little quirks as Percy, turning red with a nervous smile. Even his cute little laugh reminded me of how Percy had been when we were kids.

Looking at Noah made me miss Percy.

How on earth am I going to do this?

But I shook that off and smiled down at Noah.

"What are you doing here?"

And then a bad thought hit me.

"Does your dad know you're here?"

Noah smiled weakly and shook his head.

"He's going to be so worried, Noah," I told him, about to take his hand and walk him over there.

"He'll be fine. He probably won't notice for a while. I'm supposed to be doing my homework."

"What if he comes to ask if he can help?" I crossed my arms, and Noah looked to the ground.

Definitely Percy's son…

Part of me wished that JoJo had been wrong about who the father was, but there was no question now that I got a good look at him.

"He loves you, Annabeth. I know he does. But he thinks he screwed things up too badly…"

He _did._

"And I think you still love him, too," Noah looked up to me, and I felt my heart stop.

Was it that obvious?

The question wasn't if I still _loved him_. It was if I could _forgive him._

"Things don't always work out, Noah," I got down on my knees and pushed his black hair out of his eyes.

"You sound just like him…" Noah seemed defeated, but I knew from the look in his blue eyes that he hadn't really given up yet.

"Baby, why do you want us together?"

Noah looked up at me, not sure how to answer.

"Because I promise to be there for you, whether I'm with your dad or not. You know that, right?" I squeezed his hand, but Noah still kept trying to figure out how to word it.

"I saw an old picture of you two, and you looked so happy. And I know you keep saying you're happy, but you're not. Or at least not like how you were then. And I want my daddy-and _you_- to be happy," Noah told me, not taking my eyes off him.

I knew I should have told him the same thing about how times change, but he had heard it a million times. And it hadn't made a difference.

"Come on, Noah. Let's get you home," I finally told him, not meeting his eyes as I led him to his door.

Suddenly feeling sick, I pressed the doorbell and held my breath as I waited to see Percy.

_I think I'm going to pass out_, I began to panic, _I can't do this. No matter if it is better for Noah, I just _can't_ do it!_

Before I could chicken out, the door opened.

"Noah! There you are! I was getting worried," Percy wrapped his son up in a tight hug, and he didn't seem to notice me yet.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Noah told him, his voice small, and I tried to get my voice to work but I couldn't.

And then Percy looked up and froze.

"Uh, Noah, get ready for bed, okay?"

Noah looked between me and his dad but finally nodded.

Percy slowly stood up as Noah started towards his room.

"Uh, he came over. I didn't know…" I trailed off, not sure how to word it.

"I get it. Noah can be a little crazy. But I guess that comes with being five."

Five.

I felt sick all over again.

How could I think that Percy would ignore his son for a year when he's given up everything for him?

"I'm sorry," I hurried to say.

Percy stared, not sure what I was talking about.

"Why are_ you _apologizing?"

"Because I said you were a bad dad. But I thought that he was six, like Sam. I just assumed…" I couldn't figure out how to finish that, "You're a wonderful father, and I am so sorry that I did that."

"You would have no way of knowing. I didn't tell you about what happened with JoJo, so why else wouldn't I keep any other secrets?" Percy smiled weakly, rubbing his wrist like he did when he was nervous.

"Did you?"

Percy looked up to me, and I hesitated.

"I need to know what happened, Percy. I deserve to. And I've heard it from everyone else…" I paused, "But I need to hear it from you."

Percy hesitated but closed the door after him, and he took a deep breath before beginning.

"Do you remember that fight after we just move in together? You got mad and left for a month?"

I nodded.

"Well, I didn't take it well, and Grover took me out one night. And then Juniper called for something, and he had to get there. And I was so drunk that he didn't trust me to get home alone."

Percy seemed sick at the thought of telling me what happened after that, so I stepped in.

"JoJo took you home, and you…" I felt just as sick as he did, and I couldn't manage to finish it.

Percy nodded, and I motioned for him to continue.

"Well, when we woke up, we agreed to pretend it never happened, and she left. I didn't know what to tell you, but I knew that I had to. And, then, well, you come back. And I just got you back… I couldn't lose you again…."

_But he lost me forever…_

"I didn't want you to leave for real, so I kept up the deal I made with JoJo. We pretended it never happened…"

"How did you, um…" I tried to think of the right words, "_find out_?"

I motioned towards the door.

"She called…"

"How long did you know before you left?"

"Not long. A day, maybe less. I just… I couldn't look you in the eyes and know that JoJo was pregnant with my child. And I couldn't tell you either. I stayed with Grover for about a week, and, when I realized that I had to tell you, well…"

"I was gone…"

I wanted to ask why he never came looking for me, but I couldn't manage the strength.

After a long time, I finally got my voice to work again.

"I want to be there for Noah."

Percy looked at me, shocked.

"If that's okay, of course. But he trusts me, and I saw how horrible of a parent JoJo is. And I didn't have a mom there for me when I was little either…" I shrugged, and Percy's eyes began to water.

"Thank you, Annabeth."

I smiled weakly, and I couldn't tell if I was supposed to just leave or if I should hug him.

But I really just wanted to kiss him…

I think I was about to do it when the loud sound of SpongeBob ruined the silence.

"It's getting late. I should get Noah to bed," Percy nodded, and I smiled weakly.

"Good night, Percy," I told him as I started walking backwards to my front door.

"Night, Annabeth," he let out a weak half-wave.

* * *

_**Okay, I wanted to send out a thing to some people because I am way too involved in polotics (My mom was a lobbyist, so I've been watching the news before I first saw Disney Channel) , like the girl who keeps talking about how Obama needs to put laws on guns (What kind of laws are you talking about? I think you should have check-ups to get a gun, but Obama is pushing a treaty to take away our right to bear arms! And people like this will get a gun anyway! You will just take away some people's protection!) or the girl from California (I do hope you realize that you can get a gun illegally, too. If I wanted one bad enough, I could get one. And my mom was robbed at gunpoint when she first moved to DC, and I'm sorry. But I refuse to be one of those people you see on the news as people talk about how horrible it is that a life is lost. So, I've been taught how to use a gun and how to respect it. But then again I was raised where I was one of the last kids to be able to use a gun, I'm still not allowed to, because they all hunt. So I guess different place, different thinking).**_

_**But about Obama, I will say something.**_

_**You don't have to bring up your campaign to make it **_**about**_** your campaign. Actually worse, he made it about**_** him**_**, which is just **_**low.**_** And he **_**did**_** bring up his campaign! Watch it again! And, outside of the conference, he started talking about how it was a "National Security Threat", which it was obviously **_**not**_**. But then again, I didn't think **_**anyone**_** should have said anything. I think they should have just canceled their things and not said **_**anything**_**.**_

_**But I really can't ramble like I want to.**_

_**My dog died yesterday.**_

_**I had him since I was three, and he was like my baby brother. I knew he was sick, but I never thought…**_

_**Anyway, thank you for reading and letting me ramble!**_

_**;D HAWTgeek ;D**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**You will be seeing a lot updates because I write when I can't handle things, and I will have a sort of ending. But, like my other stories, I'll probably keep it going for a while longer to really have it done **_

_**a concern exfan: *crosses arms* I really don't like you right now. I update. Actually, having other stories open helps me update faster. When I have writers block on something, I go to something else and I get ideas. And I have been working on Remembering Us off and on again for months now. And I was so excited for finally deciding what I wanted to do that I wanted to post it.**_

_**Gacbravepromise: I love you right now! Not joking! So not a waste of my time!**_

* * *

_**Annabeth,**_

I ruffled Noah's hair as he shouldered his backpack.

"I didn't know you were picking me up today," Noah smiled as he looked up at me.

"Your dad had some tutoring thing, and he decided that we should hang out," I nudged him as I picked up his green duffle bag, and I tried not to fall down from the heavy weight.

What could a five year old really need to play soccer?

"So you two are talking again?" Noah smirked, and I stuck my tongue out.

"We are friends."

"Men and women can't be friends, Annabeth."

I stared down at Noah.

He was _six._

"Where on earth did you hear that?"

"Chrissy watches When Harry Met Sally," Noah shrugged, and I tried not to laugh.

"Well that's not true. I have lots of men friends, Noah," I told him as I led him to the car I had waiting for me.

"Like my daddy?" he stared up, making it clear that he wasn't giving up on trying to get me back together with his father.

I wasn't sure why he wanted me with his father.

When I was his age, all I wanted was for my mom to be with my dad again. And, even though Susan was nice and good for my father, I didn't like her, and I definitely didn't want her _marrying_ my father.

So, why did Noah want me with Percy instead of JoJo?

But then again, this was _JoJo…_

"No, like you're Uncle Grover. We've been friends since we were kids. And Uncle Jason. And Nico. And Uncle Frank," I was about to go on naming guys that I had been friends with for a long time, but Noah made it clear that he was standing by his believe that he thought I couldn't be just friends with his dad.

And I had to admit that I was a little worried he was right.

I hadn't been able to be just friends with him the first time.

Percy was my Achilles heel, and he always had been.

I knew I couldn't go back to the way we were before, but I wasn't exactly sure I could withstand the urge to ignore everything and pretend that nothing happened.

"So, what do you want to do today, Noah?" I asked as I forced the heavy duffle in the trunk of Robby's town car and slid into my seat, where I had Noah's favorite Green Apple soda waiting.

What?

If I was going to be the fun surrogate parent, I might as well go all out.

And, like Percy had a thing with blue food, Noah liked green.

"Mrs. Mycroft has put me with a lot of homework, maybe you could help me?"

Mycroft?

Like Alyssa Mycroft?

"Robby, can you take me home?"

Robby smiled in the rearview mirror and nodded, heading the car towards the direction of my apartment.

"So, what are you having trouble with?"

Noah rifled through his backpack, sipping at his soda, and he brought out a swamp green folder with Math written in what was definitely Alyssa's perfect block letters.

I hadn't seen Alyssa since Percy graduated from college when she ran up to me, smiling as she showed me the diamond ring that Chester had given her. Percy and I used to sit around and talk about how amazing it was that, in this world of hatred and greed, there were still people like them, especially in New York.

What was she doing now?

_Apparently teaching…_

I added her name to a long list of people I needed to get back in touch with.

He pointed towards a list of fractions.

I was about to begin explaining when the car pulled to a stop.

"Good look you guys," Robby smiled, and Noah started putting everything back in his backpack.

I hesitated in the car until Noah had already gotten out to get his duffle.

"Hey, Robby can women and men just be friends?"

"It depends on the person," Robby shrugged, looking in the mirror to see me, "Why?"

"Well, what about exes? Is it possible for them to be friends?"

Robby thought about it for a while.

"It depends on how it ended."

"How?"

"Well, if you ended on good terms, yes. If you've had a lot of time to get over it, yes. But there are times when you can't be friends," Robby shrugged, keeping his eyes on me.

"What about if you were forced apart? And if you might feel more but know that you should never be together again?"

"If there are still feelings, _no_," Robby's chocolate brown eyes met mine, as if warning me that I should take that warning to heart.

But he didn't know what happened.

I couldn't forgive Percy.

I knew I couldn't.

And our time had passed a long time ago.

"Thanks, Robby," I told him as I pulled my bag on my shoulder and got out of the car, where Noah was easily carrying his soccer duffle.

I made note that I needed to get some use out of my gym membership.

Before I could warn Noah that I didn't have a key to his house, he leaned down and pulled a key with a blue plastic marker on it from under the welcome mat.

"Dad always loses his key," Noah shrugged as he jammed the key in the door and pushed it open.

As I stepped in, Noah warned me that he was going to go change out of his dirty soccer uniform, and I decided to take that time to get a good look.

It was cleaner than I thought it would be since not only did Percy live here but a five year old was with him, but I could still tell that a busy single dad lived here. But it still made me smile to see the old pictures around.

Like the picture of Percy with me and Grover right after we finished our first quest.

The three of us at Percy's seventeen birthday, where we all just went to the beach and stayed together after all that happened that summer, refusing to answer any of our phones or any Iris messages.

Percy with his half-sister and Frank in front of the Poseidon cabin.

It was almost beginning to hurt as I looked at all of the pictures from when we were younger, and I forced my eyes to the recent pictures.

Like Noah when he was just born.

Noah as a toddler with his grandmother.

Him at his first day at school.

As I was picking up a picture of Noah at his first soccer game with Sam, a necklace fell to the floor.

Cursing under my breath, I put the picture back and picked up the necklace.

But then I dropped it out of shock.

_Percabeth._

My Aphrodite friends used to tease me about how they thought our couple name was so cute, and everyone else had caught on. But it hadn't been sweet when the Ares boys sneered "Look at Percabeth" as we walked to the arena.

Nor had it been cute when the Apollo kids had to rush them to the infirmary after I got a sword in the Arena.

But, after a while, it became our joke, too.

So, when Percy and I were walking around and trying to find something funny to do for our second anniversary, it just felt right to get a necklace with _Percabeth_ as our own little joke.

I closed my eyes and remembered where my necklace was.

I had almost started crying when I was packing up my stuff from California and found the necklace, but I hadn't been able to throw it away. So, I put it in a box and taped it up where I wouldn't have to see it again. And, when the box finally managed its way to New York, I threw it in a closet and slammed the door shut.

He still had his…

"Annabeth?"

I threw the necklace behind the picture again and looked to the hallway where Noah was coming out.

"Ready to study?" I smiled.

_**Percy,**_

"Thanks, Annabeth."

It still felt a little awkward to be around her, but it was better than screaming at each other.

And we were making progress.

Slow, annoyingly slow, progress.

I wasn't sure if we would ever really be friends or even if I wanted to be complete friends with Annabeth.

"No, Noah was great," Annabeth smiled, but I noticed that she seemed colder.

Separate.

Maybe it was all of the pictures of us when we were younger…

I wasn't sure why I still had those up when they made me sad sometimes, too, but it still made me smile at the old memories. And I couldn't just ignore most of my life because Annabeth was in it.

Every big milestone happened with her there.

No matter how much I wished I could sometimes, I couldn't just pretend it didn't happen.

"There's this student in my class that just…" I wasn't sure how to describe Alice.

Annabeth smiled that I didn't have to finish, and she laughed a little.

"I know the kind. I have another friend who's a middle school teacher, and there is this girl who is crazy, too. He says that, if she wasn't obsessed about school, he's worried she would become a serial killer," Annabeth laughed, and I laughed, too.

But something about that felt familiar.

Like something I would have said about Alice…

Something I _had_ said about Alice.

"I'll see you later, okay? Malcolm is breathing down my neck for some building," Annabeth nodded towards her apartment, still smiling weakly, and I nodded.

"Bye, Annabeth."

She let out a weak wave as she started towards her apartment, and I waved back.

I still felt a little guilty about how much I wanted to kiss her when she came to ask what really happened after everything, but I couldn't help it.

I was trying to decide if I should thank Noah for ruining the moment or get mad about it when I went back into the house.

Noah was still playing on his laptop, which his grandparents had given him for his birthday since they rarely saw him and loved to spoil their only grandson. While it was sometimes annoying how they didn't warn me sometimes about their big gifts, I was still happy that they wanted to be there for him.

I knew that I needed to have Noah see his grandparents, but they lived so far away. And I never had time to take him. And JoJo had never been close with her parents.

They didn't know who she really was, which is why they freaked out so much when I got custody of Noah instead of them.

I made sure that Noah called his grandparents, and I forced JoJo to take Noah when she had him for holidays. But I needed to get back in touch with the Harriets.

While Noah played a Spongebob video game on , I logged onto my laptop and checked to see if WiseGirl was online, and, when I saw the little green light, a wide smile formed.

**AtlanticBoy16: What's up, Smarty?**

**WiseGirl210: Nothing. Just got home from babysitting my neighbor's son. How's my Beach Boy doing?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Alice. Is. INSANE. Is it justifiable homicide if she is completely crazy?**

**WiseGirl210: I'm going to out on a limb here and say no.**

**AtlanticBoy16: *Pout***

**WiseGirl210: You're crazy**

**AtlanticBoy16: Thank you**

**WiseGirl210: So, other than Alice, how was your day?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Okay I guess. How about you?**

I had decided a long time ago not to bring up Annabeth.

**WiseGirl210: Good. My brother is freaking out about work. I haven't finished a project yet, and he's acting like I have to have it done in the next ten seconds or I'll die**

**AtlanticBoy16: Do you need to get offline?**

**WiseGirl210: Nah, he's just freaking out. Ignore him. I do all the time.**

**AtlanticBoy16: :-D**

**WiseGirl210: Hey, so, how's your adorable little son?**

**AtlanticBoy26: You've never seen him. How do you know he's adorable?**

**WiseGirl210: Is he adorable?**

**AtlanticBoy16: Yes**

**WiseGirl210: Well then**

**AtlantiBoy16: He's good. Star of the soccer team from what I hear. And he's doing well in school, so I'm not complaining.**

**WiseGirl210: Well, if you're not complaining :-D**

**AtlanticBoy16: Did you play any sports in school? I swam in high school, but I never did anything like that when I was a kid. So, I just don't understand what it is with my son and soccer.**

**WiseGirl210: Never played any sports. But my nephew is obsessed with soccer, too. I can't decide if it's sad that he is too busy kicking around a soccer ball to be a normal little kid or if it is adorable.**

**AtlanticBoy16: I know, right?**

**WiseGirl210: It's kinda weird how alike we are, huh?**

**AtlanticBoy16: I guess it is**

**WiseGirl210: You know, you remind me of someone. I just can't think of who…**

I stopped and thought about the name for a long time.

**AtlanticBoy16: Hey, where did you pick out your nickname?**

**WiseGirl210: An old nickname. And 210 because my brother always says I work at two hundred and twenty percent.**

An old nickname?

I tried to shake off the feeling of how I used to call Annabeth that.

But it couldn't be…

"Are you okay, Daddy?"

I looked to my son, who was staring at me from his laptop.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"You've just been staring at the screen for ten minutes."

I looked to the browser and saw that WG had also noticed.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

* * *

_**1ce-in-Foever12: That's what I freakin' said. I think that, if you want a gun, you should go to hell and back to get it. But I was talking about the fact that everyone is saying that they support Obama to put mandates on guns (what does that saying even mean? It gives way too much freedom to the politicians)but what no one seems to understand is that he is actually pushing for a UN treaty to take away our right to bear arms.**_

_**I would rant, but I'm tired. And I have to pack.**_

_**So, I am trying to stop rambling about polotics and just agree on what every one can agree about..**_

_**PERCABETH!**_

_**Well, to the girl who said I was naive, maybe I sound naive. But you sound obstinate to not listen to other possibilities or other opinion, which is honestly **_**worse**_**. I have been talking about how people are fueling politicians to try to take away the right to bear arms. I'm sorry, but this is the human condition. People are going to die. We are horrible, horrible creatures sometimes. And I honestly think he is just a sick SOB who deserves not death but a horrible life in prison (I've always thought that life in prison is worse than the death sentence).**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**I've spent the last few months working on my top secret story for the Olympics but I didn't have it written fast enough! I had spent months planning on posting it at the exact time the Olympics would start and try to align the events, but I didn't freakin' do it fast enough. Eventually, I will post it, but I am going to focus on this for a while though.**_

* * *

_**Annabeth,**_

"No," Rachel crossed my arms, and I rolled my eyes.

"_Yes_."

"No, no, no. You are _not _going back into this, you understand me?" Rachel told me, her eyes narrowing as she watched me put my calorie free sweetener into my coffee.

"I'm not _five_, Rachel."

"I know, I know," Rachel nodded, holding her iced coffee and trying to figure out what to say without insulting me.

But there was no way it could be any other way.

She was only mad at me because she thought I was about to get sucked in again and that I wouldn't be able to get out this time, a fear I had myself but would never bring up to her.

Though I loved Rachel, I worried sometimes that she didn't understand that I wasn't that sixteen year old who was so in love with Percy that even I thought it was getting pathetic. After _everything_ we had been through together, it would have been insane if I wasn't immune to it all.

Like his smile.

Or the way his green eyes light up when he's around his son.

I began to mix my coffee as I thought about him, and Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"You're in _Percy Land_."

Percy Land.

The annoying nickname she had for when I got caught up thinking about him, something that used to happen all the time when I was a teenager.

"What is Percy Land?" I tried to pretend that I didn't remember it.

But I did.

And she knew I did.

And I knew that I had been in Percy Land again.

"No, I refuse to let you do this again, Annabeth. You are banned from him!"

"Banned from him? I'm _thirty,_ not _three_."

I never brought up our age after Rachel's freak-out when she realized that she was that grown-up lady who told the prophecies to the campers instead of the spunky eighteen year old she had always seen herself as.

"What about that guy? AB? Whatever happened to him?" Rachel complained.

I hadn't told her about how we had both agreed not to meet until everything had been worked out when I knew Rachel's opinion on this.

In her eyes, this would never settle down.

And I needed to accept it and get as far away from Perseus Jackson as I could.

But, whether I liked to admit it or not, I couldn't.

It was like a drug, and it was addictive as such.

While I loved adorable Noah, I also loved that I was friends with Percy again.

We would never be as close as we had been, but it was better than nothing.

"Well, we talked about it and decided to meet when things are under control," I shrugged.

"Under control?" Rachel put her head in her hands, "When are things _ever_ under control? Name me _one time_!"

I admit that I had to think about it.

After a long time, I shrugged, and I gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I'm not ready, Rachel."

"Ready? What is this ready crap? You better get that boy right now before you get addicted again!" Rachel told me, not caring if everyone in the coffee shop heard her, including the paparazzi who had been following me to see if I was either with another guy or not doing well after my break-up with Henry.

"What are you talking about addicted?" I whisper-hissed.

"Oh no, oh no," she shook her head, sending her curly red hair into a tizzy.

"What?"

"You already are."

"You're being ridiculous."

"You're addicted, and you know it."

"I am not _addicted_. He is my _friend_. I am _babysitting_ his son," I crossed my arms, and Rachel made it clear that she didn't believe me.

"Fine, just call me."

I knit my eyebrows in confusion.

"Call me when something more happens than just, _not being addicted, being his friend, and babysitting his son_," Rachel told me as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Bye, Rachel."

She let out a weak half-wave, and I logged on to my laptop as she began to walk away.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**It's possible for two exes to just be friends, right?**

**I mean, I know nothing would absolutely ever happen again, but do you think we could actually be friends? I mean, we've gotten better from screaming at each other until our lungs couldn't handle it any longer. But I'm not sure if I can really be friends after everything…**

**-WG**

I didn't wait for a response.

Packing everything into my leather briefcase with my _210_, my lucky number since Malcolm always told me I worked at two hundred and ten percent, etched in as a present for completing my first skyscraper, I started towards the office, where I hurried past people who tried to stop me to tell me something.

"Morning, Annabeth," Malcolm smiled as he followed me to my office.

"So, I hear you're talking to Percy again," Malcolm smirked as he closed the door behind us, and I glared at him.

"I gave Sam a new pair of cleats and Kate a donut to keep them quiet," I mumbled, slouching in my chair.

"Rachel," he reclined into one of the chairs in my office, smirking.

I made a mental note to kill her.

"So what?" I shrugged, "We're talking."

Malcolm raised his eyebrows.

"I highly doubt that."

"We're friends," I told him with a roll of my eyes as I turned on my computer.

"Now you are."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Annabeth, you and I both know that Percy has always been the one person who you can't use your brain with, and I know that you went through a lot and everything. And I would prefer you didn't go through it again," Malcolm crossed his arms.

I didn't understand why everyone was so convinced that Percy would break my heart like he did before if we were to try again.

But I didn't dare ask either.

"I'm fine, Malcolm."

I pointed towards the door, and he raised his hands in surrender like we were thirteen again.

"Just don't be naïve, Annabeth," he paused in front of the door.

"When am I naïve, Malcolm?"

He finally nodded and left, leaving me to finally be able to log onto my email, where I had a new alert from AB.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGirl210**

**Of course they can. I currently am.**

**But then again this ex was my childhood best friend before we started dating, but we're good now. She's close with my son even.**

**This is all new though.**

**So, I still find myself having to stop in the middle of a sentence because I feel weird about talking about something or know I shouldn't. And it's kind of awkward sometimes, which I guess only makes sense and everything.**

**But I think we'll be friends.**

**And you're so much smarter than me.**

**Why are you always asking me the questions?**

**:-D**

**-AB**

I smiled to myself as I typed back a response and began to get back to work.

_**Percy,**_

"Watching them makes me need a nap," Annabeth nodded towards the kids, who were all playing at the soccer field near where we both lived.

I smiled weakly and nudged her as Noah tried to teach Kate how to play soccer, where she kept tumbling over the ball and having her brother, Sam, complain about her.

It still felt weird to smile at Annabeth after how my reaction before had been to scream at her, but I was getting used to it slowly. And I had to admit that it was a welcome relief.

"Me, too," I nodded in agreement, "Especially Sam."

Sometimes I could swear that Sam was part squirrel.

Which is why it had been such a surprise to find out that Sam was Malcolm's son, who had always been the quiet kid who rolled his eyes when he saw the hyper ones.

"So, how was work?" Annabeth asked, looking away from the kids to us.

I had to think about it for a while, trying to think of something eventful without Alice in the picture.

While she undoubtedly took up most of my time, there were still other students and other things to talk about. And I didn't like to bring up the bad parts of work, like Alice's constant questions about the finals, which were two months away.

"One of my students, Jay, went from making '_F's_ to making his first _'A_' today."

Annabeth smiled.

"Sounds like you, huh?"

I stuck my tongue out at Annabeth, which made her laugh like we were four.

"So, do you like it?"

I raised my eyebrows to ask what she was talking about.

"Teaching? Do you like it?"

I had to remind myself that I was still in school when I was with her.

While I had a degree to teach one day at the time, I had been in the Navy and was going back to school for it.

She didn't know how much I really did love my job, though I often complained about it because of one annoying student.

"Love it," I nodded, "Especially teaching about Greek Mythology."

Annabeth nudged me and hid her laugh.

"So, how are you liking work?"

From the time we were twelve years old, she had been talking about this day, when she would be running the world like this.

Sometimes, it felt surreal.

To see the skyscrapers she build and remember when she used to make card houses and make complicated structures out of Legos.

And it always felt surreal to talk to her on the phone and still think of her of that twelve year old, glaring at me as she blew a stray crazy curl out of her eyes.

And then to see her and have to remember that she went and grew up.

And that she went and grew away from me.

"I love it," Annabeth's smile grew wide, "I mean, I just…"

Annabeth shook her head, trying to figure out how to put it into words.

"It's what you always wanted to do."

"Yeah," she nodded, "It is, huh?"

Annabeth laughed as she thought about something.

"I told you a million times, so you should know."

It had been annoying to everyone else when she spouted out random architecture facts, but I always found it adorable.

Grover, on the other hand, made it clear that it drove him insane.

"Some of the time, it's a miracle you're still alive with how mad you used to make Grover," I smirked, glancing back at Kate as Noah high-fived her for making her first goal.

"I know, right?" Annabeth smiled as she watched Noah begin to teach Kate the drills with Sam.

Kate and Noah had always gotten along well, which is why I liked to tease him that he had gone and found a perfect daughter-in-law for me.

Sometimes, I thought Noah was really closer to Kate than he was to Sam, and Sam was often upset about how close they were since he thought Noah should just be his friend, not his little sister's friend, too.

"Oh shoot," Annabeth mumbled as she watched Kate begin to play along.

"What?"

"There's going to be another one," she pointed towards Kate, who kicked the soccer ball so hard that Sam doubled over because he was stuck being the goalie.

And I couldn't help but laugh as I watched the three of them.

"I better get them home. Kate has swim practice."

Somehow, these kids had all quickly gotten into sports.

Sam and Noah with their soccer, which they took way too seriously to be only five.

And Kate with swimming.

"I thought she only had that on Tuesdays."

"She says she wants to do it, so Malcolm made it so that she can go on Tuesdays and Thursdays," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

When we were kids, training was our sport.

And staying alive was the trophy.

"Noah hasn't gotten started on his homework yet," I got up from the bench, and Annabeth leaned down to get the brief case I had seen before.

But this time I got a different angle.

I froze and stared at the leather.

_210._

_WiseGirl210: An old nickname. And 210 because my brother always says I work at two hundred and ten percent._

My eyes washed over Annabeth, and my heart began to beat erratically.

Blonde.

Broke up with a guy name Henry.

Ran away to LA.

Making nice with an ex.

And Wise Girl…

It was so…

So _obvious._

But yet not.

I felt like throwing up.

WiseGirl210.

Annabeth Chase.

Who works two hundred and ten percent.

"Come on, Baby. It's time to go to swim practice," Annabeth wrapped her arms around Kate and started carrying her while Sam followed after them happily, and Noah picked up his backpack as he ran to me.

I cursed under my breath, not knowing he was right there, and my son looked up to me.

"Fudge? I thought you didn't like fudge, Daddy."

"No, not fudge," I shook my head, trying to snap out of it, "But it's a bad word, a _very bad_ word. Don't say it, Noah."

But I honestly couldn't think straight enough to reprimand myself for cursing in front of my son like that.

Annabeth Chase wasn't just my Wisegirl.

She was _WiseGirl210._

* * *

_**Not how I planned for this, but here it is.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Percy,**_

_Ping._

Another one.

How many was that?

Five?

Six?

Annabeth had been trying to send emails to me, and I couldn't get the nerve to read them, much less _answer_ them.

Now that I looked back on it, it made sense. Actually, it was _obvious._

But I didn't ever think about it being Annabeth. Or ever coming to contact with Annabeth again, much less falling in love with her online without knowing it was her.

Now I had to lose both of them.

I already lost Annabeth when Noah came around, and I lost WG when I looked at the briefcase with_ 210_ etched into the leather.

Why had it clicked then?

WiseGirl didn't click. I just thought that she was a daughter of Athena who was called that by an annoying brother.

Her brother breathing down her neck to finish things and having two kids, a little girl who was four and a little boy who was six, didn't click either.

So, why was it that seeing a number on her briefcase suddenly made everything fall into place?

I wish it hadn't.

Then I could go on for a while longer, thinking that there really was someone out there who I loved and who loved me back. I couldn't do it forever, but for another year or two until Annabeth would have decided that we had worked everything out and we would meet, where she would either take me back or run away forever this time.

_Run away forever…_

Gods, that sounded horrible.

When I had met WG, I had been typing in the name _Annabeth Chase_ into the search bar, finally having worked up the nerve to go and find her after all these years, not knowing that she was famous now. But then I remembered that I had to go online and buy that new soccer thing for Noah, and I had to admit that I was happy to have a distraction.

Annabeth had gone on there, too.

We both went into the same help-chat room, where we both asked the same questions about what the heck this thing did, and we started talking. Then, she gave me her email, _WiseGirl210_, and I gave her my email, _AtlanticBoy16_.

It just went on after that.

Later, she admitted that she had been going online to look for something for her upcoming wedding, and things quickly progressed to where she complained about Henry to me. And then we got closer, and I began to fall in love with her, too.

And then she left Henry…

I had to close my eyes not to get up and answer the next email from WG.

If I ignored the fact that I now knew that WG was Annabeth Chase, I could still feel that rush of hope I had felt when I found out that WG and Henry had broken up.

In a giant world, why did she have to be the one I found online?

In a city of eight million, why did she have to be my new neighbor?

And, out of all of those numbers, why did she have to be the one I was in love with?

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Still sipping at my cup of hot coffee, I glanced over to my clock.

I wasn't sure if I should be happy that it was time to get started with my day and get away from the laptop or if I should be upset that I hadn't slept a wink.

Either way, I knew to get up.

I hurried along with my morning routine. I made another cup of coffee, and I quickly brushed my teeth.

And, as I was spitting out the cinnamon flavored toothpaste, I stopped and realized just how much time I spent checking my morning mail and sending something back to WG.

I tried almost everything to get through the morning.

I checked my work email, even taking the time to read the novel-like email that Alice Oceana sent me about the finals, which I simply responded to by saying that she had time to get ready for it. I cleaned Noah's cleats, having to search the backyard for the left shoe. And I moaned to see that, by using my single-parent abilities to become like Flash, it hadn't taken me long enough.

So, I began breakfast for Noah, making a meal big enough to feed his entire soccer team.

And then I finally smiled happily as my cell phone chimed for me to wake up Noah.

"Noah," I flipped on the lights for Noah's room, "It's time to get up."

He pulled a pillow over his head.

"Go away."

I moaned as I walked towards him, pulling the pillow off his head.

"Up, up, Noah."

"Daddy, I'm sick."

I rolled my eyes.

"You're not sick, Noah."

"I have a fever! Feel!" he faked a cough, and I held my hand to his forehead.

"You're _cold_, Noah."

He moaned.

"I made bacon," I tried, instantly wishing I had made French Toast so that he would get up.

He looked up at me, and I smiled that I was going to keep on until he got up.

"I cleaned your cleats."

Noah pulled himself up, and I left him to get dressed for the morning, putting bacon on a plate for him.

Things were going fine.

Still in his pajamas with his breath smelling like whitening toothpaste, Noah sat down on the barstool and was about to take a bite of the bacon when the doorbell rang.

"Christine," Noah smiled, jumping off the chair as he went to open the door.

As Annabeth got closer to Noah, Christine just smiled and faded back for him.

She hadn't seen Noah in about two weeks, and that was probably the longest she had ever gone without seeing him, except for the month long visit when I flew Noah to see his grandparents for a summer and came to pick up him at the end of the summer.

I could hear Noah hug the visitor, but I kept my eyes on the toaster, waiting for the toast.

"Hey, Christine."

"Hey, Perce."

I froze.

_Fudge._

WG.

No, Annabeth.

Well, what the Hades?

It was one and the same.

"Uh, morning, Annabeth."

She smiled weakly as Noah led her into the kitchen, sitting on the chair beside him.

Somehow, Annabeth looked just as tired as me.

I began to panic.

Did she know?

Had she figured it out?

Was she thinking the things I was thinking?

No, Annabeth would be having a panic attack for not figuring it out earlier.

"Good morning, Percy, and good morning to you, Noah."

Noah smiled up at her, offering her some bacon, and she smiled as she took some.

"Thanks, Noah," she nudged him and looked towards me.

I couldn't meet her grey eyes, so I looked down to my watch.

"Noah, you should go ahead and get dressed," I nodded towards him, and he moaned before jumping off the bar stool and going towards his room.

Oh no.

I forgot that she would stay here instead of going with him.

Why am I such a Seaweed Brain?

"Coffee?" I held up a mug, and she smiled thankfully.

"Please."

Annabeth wrapped her hands around the cup and enjoyed the warmth before drinking the bitter drink to get the energy she desperately needed.

"No sleep?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"Not a wink."

But I already knew.

She had been emailing me all night.

No, she had been emailing _AB_ all night.

"So, what's up?" I asked, biting my tongue not to spill my guts about AB.

"Well…" Annabeth hesitated, pushing her blonde curls behind her ear.

It had to do with AB.

Was she really going to tell me?

Did she trust me enough for that?

"You promise not to think I'm a freak."

"I _already_ think you're a freak."

She stuck her tongue out but began anyway.

"Do you remember when we ran into each other in the park? When I found out about how old Noah was? And about how you did the right thing?"

Annabeth still didn't like to mention that without an apology.

But I hated to admit that I would have thought the same thing.

Noah and Sam look the same age and act it, so why not think they were both six?

And, if you thought Noah was six, you might have thought that I had known about him for a year and that I didn't do anything about it.

I did have to admit that it had hurt though.

I had screwed up everything else.

I lost the girl I loved. Made a bunch of my friends pick her side after hearing what happened, including Rachel, who was like a sister to me. And, before I could even explain what had happened when I was with the few girls I tried to date, their phones chirped with a warning message from their girlfriends, telling her about how I broke my girlfriend-of-almost-ten-year's heart because I got another girl pregnant.

But I didn't screw up with Noah, I made a point not to.

I watched SpongeBob instead of the big game. When I could have been hanging with the guys, I was doing laundry so that he would have his uniform ready for him in the morning. I gave up my job that I loved, my modern apartment that I stayed on a waiting list for six months to get, and Annabeth.

I even gave up my 1960's beach boy convertible.

With everything I did wrong, I got something right with Noah.

"Yeah, I remember," I told her as I pulled myself on to the kitchen countertop.

"I was going to meet someone that day," Annabeth stopped, biting her lower lip, "A guy."

_AB._

"A guy?"

"We met online, and we finally decided to meet," she rolled her eyes, drinking some more coffee.

"Like ?"

"More like how you run into someone on the street. We ran into each other on the internet, and it was just like that. We clicked. Ignore the pun."

"You said we were going to meet him. You didn't?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"No, and, when I got home, we both agreed that things were too complicated right now."

"Too complicated?"

"To meet, I mean," Annabeth explained, "And we agreed to stay friends online for a while."

"So, why didn't you sleep tonight?"

"I think I got scared. I hadn't heard from him in a long time, and I just… well, I guess I panicked. And I don't panic. So panicking just made me freak out more because I'm not that kind of person. I feel insane because I'm acting like… I'm acting like I'm…"

In love.

She was acting like she was when we were together.

She still loved me.

Well, not me.

Or not what I had done.

But she loved the guy underneath all that.

She loved _AB._

"I get it, Annabeth."

Annabeth smiled thanks up at me for not having to explain how insane she felt.

This was it.

My Rom-Com moment.

I thought back to all of the Nora Ephron movies my mom made me watch as a kid.

One in particular actually.

_You've Got Mail._

Finally, my mother's insisting that life was like a movie and Alyssa's constant mention of _Sleepless in Seattle _and _You've Got Mail_ became useful.

I had to do what Joe Fox would do.

I had to make her forgive Percy and then fall in love with AB.

_**Annabeth,**_

I tapped the hardwood floor, staring up at the little mark on the ceiling from where they had taken down glow-in-the-dark lights when they moved out.

Malcolm hadn't told me about the previous renters, and I hadn't cared until I saw the mark.

So I went to the gossip Christine and found out the story.

It felt weird to think that a family had been here.

That a wife had hung her wedding photo on the wall and twisted her platinum wedding band as she thought back to that day. That two infants, Georgiana and Ashton, had been brought home from the hospital to this apartment. That a father had gotten up at four in the morning to get a bottle out of the stainless steel refrigerator for his child.

And that, when getting home early from dropping her children at her parent's place at the Hamptons for a long summer weekend, a wife found her husband with the nineteen year old babysitter with bleach blonde hair.

During the divorce, the apartment had been put up for sale, and my brother had snapped it up for me.

I felt kind of bad for those two kids who were now going from the Hamptons, where their mom moved in with her parents for a while, and a penthouse where the bleach blonde babysitter was moving in.

But I mainly felt bad that this apartment that used to hold a family of four now held a single career woman who spent more time in the private company plane last year than I did in my apartment with Henry.

I usually would have written this to AB, but I refused to keep on bugging him.

If he didn't want to answer me, then it was his loss.

Not _mine._

But my fingers were itching to start clacking away on my laptop with some witty joke to make AB laugh.

I began to regret having said that I would bring him into my life when things settled down.

I hated having to rely on an email service to make sure that I heard AB'S Alice troubles today.

"You're not going to back down. You're not going to back down," I told myself repeatedly, standing up from the floor to my desk.

I logged on to a conference call from my siblings who ran the company with me, all with different landmarks in the background and different skylines for different time zones.

I missed when we were all together, sitting at the Pavilion or hanging out at the Roman Camp.

Now, we got together twice a year at the Solstices, if that.

I was on the verge of falling asleep on my laptop as Alex and Jon-Jon fought over their different opinions (Alex was pro-modern and urban and Jon-Jon was the white picket fence guy). But then my email pinged with the alert I had set for my WG email account.

"Anything you want to add, Annabeth?" Malcolm asked, being the leader of us all.

"Uh, no. I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

I didn't give them time to answer before I changed over to my email account.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGir210**

**Hey.**

**Dang, life got even more dramatic, huh?**

**I'm sorry about not getting your messages. Hotmail has been acting up for me all day, and I couldn't get in until Alice started her oral report that seems to never end. The other kids almost fell asleep, and I had to count the seconds to keep myself from doing the same.**

**I know I sound like a horrible teacher, and I'm not. But Alice just drives me insane.**

**So, you didn't sleep either, huh?**

**I always have these horrible nightmares that wake me up.**

**How about you?**

**-AB**

I smiled to myself, and I forced myself to stop to not seem desperate.

One.

Two.

Oh screw it.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**You have nightmares, too?**

**I've had those since I was seven, and I hate them.**

**Um, sorry about that.**

**Just couldn't sleep, and… well, I don't know. Somehow, in my tired fog, it just made sense to talk to you.**

**But Hotmail has been acting up for me this morning, too. When I was talking to my brother for work…**

**-WG**

I pressed send, not caring that I lied.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGirl210**

**So, what have you been doing today?**

**-AB**

I thought over what I wanted to say.

After coming in for a few hours, I used my lunch break to pick up some energy drinks and fell asleep on the couch, and I woke up about an hour later and sent Malcolm a text that I would be working from home for the rest of the day.

I was so tired…

And all I wanted to do was sleep.

And then there was Percy.

I still couldn't figure out why I decided to go to him this morning.

All of a sudden, I just decided that I wanted to get up and come see him.

I had to admit that I liked being his friend again and being able to tell him things.

And I also had to admit that I missed having him right there all the time to talk to him.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**Nothing much.**

**I went to go see my neighbor, Percy, who is also my ex. I hung out with his son for a little bit today since he had to leave early to get to his class, and I took Noah to school. I love hanging out with that kid.**

**Went in to work and came home to grab something at lunch, and I fell asleep on the couch.**

**Typical crazy stuff for me.**

**How was your day?**

**Alice being annoying as usual? ;-D**

**-WG**

* * *

_**My phone got stolen. We just adopted a new dog, seven month old Beauregard, because my dad couldn't handle it after Bennie died. I was babysitting three kids all weekend and suffering from a major crush on my other babysitter (Future, you know all about this). And I found out that I have to move out by next Saturday because the people who are buying our house just sold theirs and need to be out by then.**_

_**Just saying, not the best week.**_

_**But how about Percy going all Joe Fox on us?**_

_**And, please, if you like Sims 3 videos, Taylor Swift, or are just a big fan of me, please check out my new Sims 3 music video for Speak Now. I know it doesn't sound good, but it's actually good. Check it out. I am HAWTgeek12345 (Someone took HAWTgeek) and the video is Speak Now.**_

_**;-D HAWTgeek ;-D**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Annabeth,**_

"So, what if this guy is married with kids?" Percy asked as ate a french-fry, and I rolled my eyes, motioning towards Noah to help Kate up after she tripped over the soccer ball.

If anyone loved my new friendship with Percy, it was Dana.

All of a sudden, she had two steady babysitters which meant she could actually go out with her husband when he wasn't working himself to death. Dana and Malcolm's marriage had gotten a million times better now that Aunt Annabeth could have fun sleepovers with Kate and Sam, and even Malcolm had to admit that he was happy I was friends with Percy.

Now, only Rachel was left unconvinced that this was for the better.

Even though she had known the whole story, she held Noah against Percy like he had been having an affair with JoJo for years.

But I didn't care.

I liked being friends with Percy again.

It felt like old times before we were a couple, when we were just kids. I could tell Percy anything and not even think about.

It hadn't felt right when I told Henry everything.

I did though.

But it felt forced.

It didn't roll of my tongue like it did with Percy. I had to stop and tell him my history, and Henry was accepting of me and supportive. But it…well, it didn't feel _right_.

I had always known it, but I didn't accept it. I had always known that my heart didn't belong to Henry, but I told myself that I loved him. And I knew that he was the guy I should marry and spend the rest of my life with.

Henry was the guy I dreamed about as a little kid.

But it wasn't right…

With Percy though, I could just say anything and not even think about it.

"He actually does have a kid. One, a five year old, Noah," I told Percy, turning to look at him.

"I swear, people are copying me. As soon as I went and became a single father to a five year old boy named Noah, everyone else does it, too," Percy laughed as he shook his head, and I smiled as I stole a French-fry.

Percy nudged me, but he went right back into AB-Attack-Mode.

"So, how do you know about the boy? Did he tell you up front? Or did he slip up?" Percy raised his eyebrows, and I hesitated, which answered the question for me.

But I still had to answer.

"He told me about him when he was talking about how hard it was to find a good babysitter in New York," I took a long sip of my coke, and Percy began to laugh.

"How do you know that he's not one of those weird guys with wives and families stashed all over the place?"

"He's not."

"You've never met him, you don't know. How do you know that this isn't his thing? Make a girl fall in love with him over the internet and then change them out for a new girl as soon as he gets her? Or what if he is a complete jerk in person? Oh, what if he loves spiders?" Percy kept rambling, not noticing that my eyes were narrowing at him.

I crossed my arms and stared at Percy.

"This is New York, you never know," Percy raised his hands in surrender, and I looked back to Noah and Kate, who were pulling Sam up after he also tripped over the soccer ball.

"You are _horrible_, Perseus. _Horrible._"

"Hey, I got stuck teaching the online safety thing at my school. I will never look at _Google_ the same," Percy shook his head, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling nudging him.

"So, speaking of crazy people with families stashed all over the country, are you dating anyone?"

It was an odd question to ask given our history, but it felt right at the time.

Percy seemed to think about it and finally shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I'm not _dating_ anyone, but I like this girl."

"Really?"

I felt something stir deep inside of me.

Was that…?

Was it _jealousy_?

I shook that off and waited for Percy to explain.

"She just got out of a serious relationship, so I'm trying to take it slow."

I leaned in, waiting for him to tell me who it was, but he didn't say anything else.

"What are you doing?"

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Do you really _need_ more?" Percy crossed his arms, almost laughing at me, and I leaned back to where I was sitting before.

"No," I shrugged, "Just wondering."

"Annabeth Chase? Daughter of Athena? _Wondering_? No, couldn't be possible."

I punched his arm, and Percy had to hold onto the bench to keep from falling off of it and onto the grass.

"You forgot to mention that you were wondering _and_ violent.

_**Percy,**_

**WiseGirl210: Are you one of those guys with a wife and kids stashed in Tulsa?**

I smiled to myself.

So I was getting through to Annabeth…

**AtlanticBoy16: Oh let me guess. You're friends are all saying that, because we haven't met, I'm probably married or something. And you're letting it sink in?**

I leaned back in my desk chair and waited for the frantic response from Annabeth, trying to redeem herself.

With every message, it became harder and harder not to just blurt out that I was Percy Jackson, not just AB. But I needed to get her to be able to love Percy Jackson first, then I could tell her the other part.

For now, I had to bite my tongue and make her fall even more in love with AB and Percy Jackson.

**WiseGirl210: My best friend, Percy, had to teach the cyber-safety class and has been scared to death of all this since. The wives in Tulsa are weak in comparison to the other things he's brought up. And you've got to admit that I have a point. You really could be married for all I know.**

**WiseGirl210:**_** I**_** could be married for all you know**

_No you couldn't…_

But I bit my tongue and wrote back quickly.

**AtlanticBoy16: Touché, WG. Touché.**

I was spending basically all of my time with Annabeth, whether she was WG or Annabeth, and I liked it.

Maybe that was why I really couldn't tell her…

Right now, I had both of them, Noah and Annabeth, a pair I had never been able to have before now.

I always had to choose. Did I want my Wise Girl? Or my son?

And Noah needed Annabeth now…

That was his mom. He's always had women like his mom, joining together to form one mother figure. From my mother to Alyssa, he's never really had to worry about it when he needed a woman there. But he did need it all in one person.

Annabeth gave him that.

I couldn't take that away from him.

That was why I needed to get her to fall in love with me again.

It was harder than I thought though.

Leaving her hurt Annabeth more than I could have ever imagined, and she still harbored anger towards me for it. I didn't know how to get rid of it though.

**WiseGirl210: So, being serious. Married? And, if you are, is there like a sister's wife thing going on? Or one-girl kinda guy?**

I laughed to myself as I typed back a response.

**AtlanticBoy16: Well, I am not married. I'm too busy being a dad right now to be a husband.**

**WiseGirl210: Wasn't that in a movie? Auntie Mame?**

Annabeth's favorite movie…

Well, one of her favorite movies.

**AtlanticBoy16: You like that movie?**

**WiseGirl210: Love it.**

My cell phone rang with a reminder, and I closed my laptop and hid it away where Annabeth wouldn't be able to see it. When I saw Annabeth's taxi, I looked back down to my cell phone and checked to see if JoJo had called with problems yet.

Noah and JoJo were spending the weekend together, and I was scared to death.

I tried to trust JoJo, but this was my son.

I was scared that she would take him to an arcade or something to get on the phone and that some creep would kidnap him while she wasn't looking. Or that he would get hurt and she wouldn't know what to do. Or that she wouldn't take his allergy shot with her and he could accidentally eat a mushroom.

And I'd honestly believe it if it happened…

So, I kept my phone's volume on high in case she called.

I had to stare at Annabeth as she got out of her car though…

It was a Saturday afternoon, which usually meant sweatpants and a ponytail. But Annabeth had gone all out. Or gone all out considering it was Saturday.

Her curly blonde hair was tied into a side braid to stay out of her grey eyes, and her jeans showed off how much she had trained. And, since it was early fall, she slid a light grey sweater over her black tank top, probably so that I wouldn't tease her.

Annabeth smiled as she saw me, letting out a wave and hurrying her walk towards me.

"Hey, Percy."

I snapped out of my trance and smiled at her.

For the next hour, we rambled around the farmer's market, with Annabeth stopping to buy almost ever apple in sight.

"What is it with you and apples?" I stopped as Annabeth stopped to take a bite of her pear-apple hybrid.

She shrugged.

"An apple a day keeps the dragon away."

"The dragon away?"

"Chiron never told you that?"

I had to remind myself that she had basically been raised by Chiron and that he wasn't exactly a normal dad.

"I heard, _An apple a day keeps the doctor away_," I told her as I bought a bag of tomatoes

"I like my version more," Annabeth walked towards the station with brownies.

"Hey, I never asked. Is AB a half-blood?" I smiled to myself as I followed Annabeth, who bought a naturally grown blueberry muffin and nodded.

"Yeah, but we don't talk about it much."

"Why not? Maybe you know each other from Camp."

Or dated him for almost ten years and almost married him…

"We just don't bring it up," Annabeth shrugged, and, since I was AB, I knew that she was right.

So, I just shrugged.

I hadn't wanted WG to know who I was because of what happened with Annabeth…

"When do you think you'll meet him?" I forced myself not to sound hopeful.

"I don't know. Why are you so interested?" Annabeth smiled as she turned back to look at me, and I froze.

It took me a while, but I finally came up with an excuse.

"I'm too busy being a dad right now to have a romantic life. So, let me know all about yours," I nudged him, and Annabeth looked at me funny for a minute.

Oh no…

AB said that earlier.

But she shook it off and rolled her eyes.

Why would she ever even think of me as AB?

It was too far of a stretch, even for the amazing Annabeth.

I was a little shocked by it though.

I had earlier been scared that she would figure me out, but she hadn't yet. And I was beginning to wonder if she ever would…

Was that a bad thing though?

A warning that she would never be able to see Percy Jackson as the AB she had fallen in love with on the internet, that I should stop wasting my time like this?

"Are you alright, Percy?"

"Uh, yeah, Noah is with his mom, and I'm a little worried."

Annabeth nodded, having seen just how _wonderful_ of a mother JoJo was.

* * *

_**This would be longer and better, but this is Moving Day. And it's crazy around here. It feels so weird to pack up my stuff, you know. But, anyway, I wanted to post this because my cousin's wedding is in nine days (or eight, I don't know) and I have to be a bridesmaid. And she's about to kill me because I had a growth spurt this summer and am taller than almost everyone in the wedding party…**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Percy,**_

"Where's Noah?" Annabeth asked as she sat down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

"It's Wednesday."

Annabeth looked up as if to silently ask me what was so special about Wednesdays.

"That's the day he has soccer games," I explained as I sat down beside her and turned on the TV, "Malcolm took Noah for the night, and I'm supposed to pick him up from school tomorrow morning."

I loved Noah being friends with Sam and Kate, but I especially loved that it meant that we had constant babysitters. If Malcolm had to get to work for something and Dana was doing something, Sam and Kate came over. And, if I was being buried in work, Noah was happy to go home with Malcolm.

"Those kids are adorable. And they get along so well. And Kate and Noah," she smiled, rolling her eyes.

They are…

Well, they're like _we_ were.

But she wouldn't say that.

Malcolm and I had spent the last year making jokes about how our kids would work out the holidays when they got married, but I didn't dare bring up that joke right now when Annabeth was still thinking about how we used to be when we were kids.

It was almost unbearable not to tell her.

But I couldn't just say, _"Hey, can you pass the popcorn? Oh and I'm AB."_

Annabeth would hate me, _forever_ this time. I wasn't even supposed to get a second chance. I was supposed to feel guilty for the rest of my life. But Aphrodite blessed me and gave me this time to make Annabeth fall in love with me. But it was getting so hard to hear how she was in love with AB and not know that it was me.

I almost wished that I could stop pretending and have her figure it out already.

She was the daughter of Athena, the _smartest _daughter of the _smartest_ goddess. Annabeth had always been the first to figure out the hardest things in the world, but she was oblivious to the _obvious,_ that Percy Jackson was AtlanticBoy16.

Maybe it was because it was so simple that it never crossed her mind.

Or maybe she didn't want it to be me.

Or maybe she really took me seriously when I told her I could barely work_ anything_ that plugged into the wall and had no romantic life at all.

Whatever it was, it was off.

And I was beginning to worry that Lyssa was right when she said life was a romantic comedy and that maybe this meant something about what kind of future we could have, _if_ we could have one at all.

"Adorable," I agreed, and Annabeth smiled weakly.

"I'll never understand their obsession with soccer. Or soccer itself either."

"You don't understand soccer?"

"The one thing I don't understand," Annabeth shook her head.

_Well that and the possibility that AB is me._

"It's simple. Even a _Seaweed Brain_ can understand it."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at me, and I rolled my eyes.

"I understand it, okay? I just don't know _all_ of the rules," Annabeth defended herself, "You always liked baseball, and Henry had a thing for football. So I never _had_ to learn the rules."

"Well, I'll explain it then," I turned on the TV, and, since Noah punched in the number all the time, it was set as one of our favorites. Annabeth was glaring at me since I was explaining things to her, something that never happened, and I had to force myself to not gloat.

And, when I say force, I mean _force_.

For most of the game, I wasn't sure if Annabeth was even paying attention or if she was thinking about what would happen if her mother found out that a _Seaweed Brain_ was explaining something to _her_.

I just rambled on, explaining everything that was going on as it happened, and Annabeth watched the screen.

I tried not to notice that most of her attention was on one of the most attractive Brazilian soccer player, and I continued to explain with the announcers.

"Well then, why doesn't he run that way, where the other players will least expect it?" Annabeth pointed, and I stared at her.

"That is actually a good suggestion," I watched Annabeth carefully.

"This isn't hard," Annabeth smiled, "I should have played soccer. I'd be better than that guy."

She pointed towards the star player.

"He's one of the best soccer players in the world."

"_Exactly._"

"Alright, and Annabeth's back," I leaned back on the couch and picked up the remote to change it.

But Annabeth snapped it back.

"Hey, the game is just getting interesting."

"Oh no. Now I have _two_ of you."

Annabeth nudged me.

"Shut up, Percy."

"Hey, I'm the one who has to put up with two of you."

"I am not like them," Annabeth laughed as she crossed her arms.

"Oh really? What are the uniform colors for Manchester United?"

"Red, white, and black," Annabeth answered without hesitation and covered her mouth in shock.

And I just smiled.

"Well, because _David Beckham_ played there, and I was always watching because he was hot…" Annabeth trailed off.

"You were a secret soccer fan, weren't you?"

"No," Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I was _not_."

"Oh my gods," I laughed, "I dated a closet soccer nerd."

"It stopped when I was sixteen, okay?" Annabeth defended herself, "And I haven't watched since we started watching baseball together, alright?"

"Really?"

"Well, I went to go see the LA team…" Annabeth ran her fingers through her hair, "But-wait, shhhh."

She held her hand to my mouth, trying to shut me up to finish the game.

"Come on, come on. Take the shot," Annabeth got down on her knees as the star player got ready for his shot.

_Holy crap…_

She was a closet soccer nerd.

Wonderful.

Am I the only one who is not obsessed with soccer?

And then the start player kicked the soccer ball into the goal, a perfect shot, and the big win.

Annabeth smiled as she jumped up and cheered, hugging me tightly, and I tried not to laugh.

"Shut up!" Annabeth hit the back of my head, and that just made me laugh more.

"It's okay that you're a dork. I _knew_ you were a dork, Annabeth."

"Fine, but I'm a _hot_ nerd, okay?"

"Agreed," I raised my hands in surrender, and she rolled her eyes as she kissed my forehead.

"And I'm just the hot idiot guy."

"But you _are_ hot. Let's give you some credit."

But then Annabeth turned bright red.

And I noticed that she was still hugging me, maybe tighter than ever.

"Uh, sorry," she pulled away from me, and I laughed.

"It's okay, Annabeth. We dated _forever_. It's okay to hug me, Annie."

"I know," Annabeth nodded, "It's just weird, okay?"

"Why is it weird?"

Annabeth shrugged, hugging her knees.

"_Because_ we dated so long," Annabeth nodded, and I bit my tongue.

I nodded, and Annabeth ran her fingers through her hair.

"We'll get better though."

It sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Sure," I nodded.

"Yeah, well, I am going to get home. I have an early morning tomorrow," Annabeth smiled, and she got up to slide back into her jacket.

"See you tomorrow, I guess," I nodded, and Annabeth smiled as she kissed the top of my head.

"Good night, Perce."

I stood and kissed her right cheek.

"Good night, Annabeth."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she kissed my left cheek.

But then she kissed my cheek again.

And then I kissed her neck.

And then Annabeth kissed me on the lips.

_**Annabeth**_,

As I began to wake up, I waited to hear my alarm clock.

But it never seemed to come.

I often woke up before my alarm clock, but I never got out of bed until it rang. It was one of my weird rules to try to keep from becoming too obsessed with work and wake up at four AM to work. Well, it hadn't been _my_ rule. It had been _Percy's_ rule when I would wake up at four in the morning and he would come in and see me studying. But I had adopted it ever since he had crossed his arms and told me that I needed to stop before I was too far gone, like my sister Allison who walked straight from work to home and only broke the chain to go get groceries.

This morning, my alarm this morning had been set to about five thirty so that I could wake up and finish the blueprints I had avoided to go watch soccer with Percy.

So, what time was it?

I couldn't really think straight due to a lack of sleep, but I managed to blink my eyes open and look at my alarm clock.

But it wasn't _there_.

Actually, _none_ of my room was there.

Where my black desk was, there was a TV stand with stacks of kids movies like Spongebob or Finding Nemo. Instead of my perfectly clean white end tables, there were blue boxy end tables covered in papers and sticky notes. And, where I hung my outfit for the next day, which was supposed to be my favorite black suit that I bought years ago and took good care of because I loved it so much, was replaced by jackets and school uniforms on the built-in-shelf.

What the-?

I sat up in bed and looked around again, and more and more of it was different.

This wasn't my house.

And then I saw the person asleep beside me.

I bit back a scream and held my mouth.

No, this was _Percy's_.

This-this isn't what it looks like.

I must have just fallen asleep here and he put me in bed.

Yeah, that makes sense…

I closed my eyes to think it through, and then I remembered that I was wrong.

It _did_ happen.

Oh gods, we-

I couldn't even finish the thought before Percy stirred in his sleep, and I froze, not wanting to wake him up.

Crap, crap, crap!

Percy nuzzled back into sleep, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I-I can't do this.

I hurriedly got out of bed, trying not to make a lot of noise, and I bit back a yelp in pain as I stepped on an action figure and zipped up my jeans.

But, as I buttoned up my blouse and opened the door to grab my jacket from the living room, I hesitated to leave.

I…

Well, I wanted to stay.

But I couldn't stay…

I needed space, I needed to _think_.

Gods, I just needed to get away from here!

Finally, I forced myself to go to the living room and slide into my jacket, and I looked around the little square to see if Christine had opened her drapes for the morning to watch her neighbors for drama with a cup of steaming hot tea.

No, it was still early.

But I didn't have long.

I slowly closed the door to not make a lot of noise, and I had to walk to my apartment to keep from my heels being too loud and waking up the new baby our neighbor just had that could hear _anything_.

And, when one of our neighbors from the next complex ran by with their dog and waved, I faked a smile and pretended that I had just gone out for a little walk in the morning air.

But I slid off my heels and braced the cold stone walkway to run to my apartment.

When I got to my house, I fell to the floor and held my head in my hands as soon as I had the door closed.

Oh gods, what have I done?

And why didn't I want to leave this morning?

I shook my head.

No, this was _Percy_.

We're done.

We have to be! I couldn't be with a guy who had a son with another woman while we were dating!

But there was only one way I would be able to resist the urge to go back to him.

_AB._

I dried my eyes as I started towards my office, where my macbook was still waiting on my desk.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**I'm ready.**

**I want to meet you.**

**Seriously this time. I won't miss it and make up some lame excuse. Or get cold feet and stand you up. Or change my mind and say that this isn't the right time.**

**I'm… well, I'm ready, and I need to know if you are.**

**-WG**

I hesitated on the send button.

I loved AB. I honestly did, and I hadn't felt like this since I had been with Percy.

But what about that?

Percy was the highest standard, why was that?

I had to make my decision, and I had to make my decision fast.

Or maybe I could hold it off until I know…

I was about to press the button to save it as a draft, but I shook my head.

I was ready, and I needed to do this.

_Now or never…_

"Send," I pressed the button and took a deep breath.

* * *

_**What did you think?**_

_**Don't worry. It is closer to an end, but, if you have read my work, you know that I like to really finish things off to stop myself from writing a sequel or anything.**_

_**And, Future, I have SOO MUCH TO TELL YOU! But we've been back and forth so much that I have to search for internet signal to post new chapters. So, I haven't just been ignoring you or anything. I will PM you later though!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**My first plan was going to have Annabeth decide to be with Percy after that night and borrow his computer that morning to check her email and find that he was AB. But I decided to keep it more Nora Ephron and go with the big confrontation. I hope you like it, though it kind of feels like it is missing something though. Anyway, I liked this and here it is.**_

_**Percy,**_

As I began to wake up to the sound of my alarm clock, my body was begging for more sleep, but I was sleeping late as it was.

What did I do last night to get so tired?

I had to force myself to think it over through my tired haze, slowly slamming the snooze button to turn out the loud alarm.

Okay, so, Annabeth came over to watch a movie while Noah was with Malcolm.

And then I found out she was a closet soccer geek.

And then she hugged me and felt awkward about it.

We walked about it, I think. And we said that we would get better about just being good friends.

Annabeth kissed the top of my head. I kissed her cheek, And she kissed my cheek. Then she kissed me. And I slid her out of jacket, and then we…

As I began to remember everything that happened last night, I gasped for air and sat up in bed, shocked.

Had we really…?

Oh gods…we _did_.

I held my head in my hands as I thought about how stupid I had been. Everything was screwed up, and all because I kissed her cheek!

Or maybe it wasn't…

Maybe this could cut to the chase.

Annabeth Chase didn't make mistakes like that, and, while she had changed since I had dated her, she couldn't have changed that much. It was one of her Annabeth rules because she never wanted to end up with a child and treat it like she was treated because it was an accident.

And it's not like we were drunk or anything.

Actually, we were completely sober, unless you count how hyped-up Annabeth was after the game.

So maybe this was what was supposed to happen.

Maybe he already loved me again. I wouldn't need AB anymore then. I could just tell her, and that would be it. I would have my Annabeth back…

I slowly blinked my eyes open and looked to see if Annabeth was awake yet.

And she was.

She had woken up before me and left.

So Annabeth made mistakes just like everyone else…

_I_ was the mistake.

She still hated me, and she didn't want me back.

How could I be so stupid to think that she would just forgive me like that? Or that she would ever forgive me?

Well, I've been alright for the last six years. I could power through the next twelve and eventually move on again. I could focus my energy on work and Noah and even trying to get JoJo to wake up and take care of our son before it was too late. Maybe I could find someone else one day…

Someone like Annabeth…

I was resolved that this was over, and I was trying to manage up the courage to end it with WG, too, as I slid into my jeans on the floor and walked over to the laptop.

But I couldn't get myself to start typing my goodbye letter, finally ready to tell her the entire truth.

Lying didn't make sense anymore.

If I was really going to say goodbye, I was going to tell her _everything. _From how Noah still needed her to how horrible I had felt for not telling her about me and JoJo all those years ago. From how long I had known she was WG to why I never told her. And from how much I missed her now to how much I would always miss her.

But, as I stared at the blank page, I couldn't do it.

Maybe I could wait a little while….

Think about it today.

Work on it during the big English test today

Yeah, that's perfect.

I closed out of the draft, and I was about to go take a quick shower when I saw the alert telling me that I had one new message.

From Annabeth…

My pain bubbled into anger, but I tried to ignore it as I pressed the button to read the email.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**I'm ready.**

**I want to meet you.**

**Seriously this time. I won't miss it and make up some lame excuse. Or get cold feet and stand you up. Or change my mind and say that this isn't the right time.**

**I'm…well, I'm ready, and I need to know if you are.**

**-WG**

Ready?

Yeah, I was ready.

This was it.

I was prepared for her to forgive me or to leave me forever.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**You're right. I thought I wasn't ready, but I am now.**

**And I definitely won't stand you up, you've got a promise on that.**

**There is a park. Right before you reach the ice cream shop where we first going to meet. There are two paths. One takes you to the playground and the other takes you to the fountain. Do you know it? **

**It's beautiful there, basically the best part of town.**

**Are you alright with today? About four?**

**-AB**

I pressed send, and my anger died down to become anticipation.

Why was I excited?

This was probably going to be the moment where I lost Annabeth Chase forever.

And I was smiling?

It didn't take long before my computer pinged with another email.

I knew that she knew the fountain. It was the only summer when things were alright, and we spent the entire time just relaxing, or what was relaxing for us. And, at the end of the summer, Annabeth curled up around me by the fountain and told me that she loved me, the first time she had ever told me when she wasn't crying that I was alive or scared that I was about to die.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**Yeah, I know it. I used to go there when I was teenager.**

**Today? Four?**

**Perfect.**

**I'll see you then.**

**-WG**

_**Annabeth,**_

"You're going to meet him, that's wonderful!"

Rachel was talking so loud that I probably could have heard her from her office without the phone.

I had skipped work this morning, calling into Aubry since Malcolm was also out with Kate today. And I had been kind of hesitant to call Rachel.

She was excited that I was going to finally meet AB, but I hadn't worked up the courage to tell her about Percy.

But that didn't matter, did it?

I was going to meet AB, who I loved more than anything.

Well, almost anything…

I knew I loved him, I hadn't felt like this since I was with Percy, but that was the entire problem.

I had loved Percy more than I had ever loved _anyone_, including the man I almost married, and yet he was so bad for me. He was everything I didn't need, and I could never let my heart rule over my head. If did, things would mess up again, and I couldn't take that.

But could I be happy with AB?

Or would it be like Henry all over again?

Loving him but not being able to give him my heart because it belonged to someone else.

"Yeah, I'm excited."

Even though I was miles away, I could basically see a frown form on Rachel's face and her green eyes become perplexed.

"You don't _sound_ excited."

"I am, I really am. I'm just…" I trailed off.

_Thinking of Percy_, I mentally finished.

"What's up, Annie?"

"Well, something kind of happened last night," I told her, knowing I couldn't keep it from her for much longer.

"Something like what?" Rachel sounded hesitant to ask.

I knew why she was hesitant.

She had warned me to stay away from Percy, to focus on AB.

But I hadn't been able to, and this was all my fault.

Just because I hadn't been able to keep away, I might have ruined things for me and AB forever.

And it's not like I could go back to Percy now.

Not after just leaving him like that…

I told Rachel what happened, from going over to watch a movie and watching soccer instead to what happened that night. And, if I closed my eyes, I could basically see her job drop with every word.

It felt kind of liberating to get that off my chest, but it felt weird to have everything in the open now. Now I couldn't just say that it was a long story when someone asked why I was so indecisive.

"Oh gods…" Rachel's voice was quiet over the phone, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "But I'm going to worry about that later. Right now, I am on my way to meet the infamous AB."

"Call me if he is a complete jerk or is covered in pimples and lives with his mother, okay?" Rachel was back to her upbeat self.

"You and Ben and Jerry's."

"Good luck."

"Thank you," I smiled, "Bye."

Rachel told me goodbye, and I hung up before putting my phone in my back pocket.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon, with a few leaves turning red and gold, and it was a wonderful day in New York. The new film students were filing everything around them, trying to get practice so that their teacher wouldn't scream at them. Busy working moms were balancing their iPhones and their children as they made sure that their backpack wasn't too heavy. Teenagers looked through the scarves and gossiped about boys. And cute little couples walked through the streets.

It was a crowded day, yes, but that was New York.

And I knew that the park would be basically empty, as always.

It was usually only populated at the playground, and that was what Percy and I had loved.

How quiet it was.

Like it was only us…

Percy.

Why on earth did it always come back to him?

I knew that I had grown up with him and everything, but it wasn't just that. It was different…

My eyes worked their way down to my hand, where there was a tan line where a heavy diamond ring used to sit.

I definitely didn't want Henry back, nor did he probably want me back.

We were alright to be separated.

He could go find some beautiful woman to become Mrs. Alexander and stand by him through his quest to become the next celebrity chef. And I would do… well, I would do _something_ with my life.

But Percy…

Sometimes I did wish I was back with Percy.

That I could just wake up and he would be there.

That this all would have been a crazy drunken dream and we would be fine again.

Did that mean something?

…Did I _still_ want that?

I stopped to buy another apple as I walked through the streets, and I hurried my walk to the park.

Gods, why was this so scary.

I took a deep breath as I sat down on the bench, but I couldn't say still.

I couldn't stop thinking about Percy.

_Reget_, that was all I could classify it as.

But it wasn't regret for what I had done. It was regret that I had left him.

"I want Percy."

My voice was almost a whisper and I hadn't realized I had said it.

_I want Percy._

"I want Percy," my voice was louder, more decided.

And… I _was_ decided.

I wanted Percy.

Not Henry. Not Robbie. Not James or Ron or any other guy.

Percy….

I didn't care what I needed. Or what I should do. Or what Rachel said. Or any of that.

I wanted Percy. And Noah. And that life.

I wanted _that_.

Not AB…

But it hurt to think I had to end that.

AB would always be my 'what-if' as I went on. When Percy and I had big fights, I would think about what if I had went with AB.

Well, if Percy would forgive me.

But I didn't really worry about that too much. I knew that he still loved me, and I finally knew that I still loved him.

I took a deep breath and let my resolve consume me.

My decision was made.

This was it for me and AB.

But I couldn't just stand him up and never answer.

I was going to tell him in person. AB deserved that.

As I stood up again, I began to plan what I would say.

Gentle and long?

Or to the point?

I was pacing back and forth, preparing my speech for AB about what had happened and how it _honestly_ wasn't him, it was Percy. And then my cell phone chimed that it was four o'clock.

I froze, staring at my pocket where I had put my phone, and I suddenly felt like chickening out.

No, no, I knew what I was going to do.

I would be alright, I just had to get through this one moment.

I fumbled to turn off the alarm as I heard a baby cry in the playground, and I finger-brushed through my hair as I looked at my reflection in the fountain.

As I looked back, it was like one of those movie scenes you see in a romantic comedy.

My hair flipped back perfectly, almost in slow motion, and a gentle breeze ruffled my curls to help my power flip along. The sun seemed to shine brighter, and the leaves gracefully fell to the ground and danced around in the water. And a nearby musician started to play a gentle jazz song.

This was supposed to be the scene where you see the male lead, looking like a god and trying to find the girl that he would meet and eventually marry and love forever.

This was _supposed_ to be the moment when AB walked in to match Aphrodite's soap opera plan for me.

But it wasn't Ab.

"Percy?"

What the fudge?

"What are you doing here?" I crossed my arms, "I'm here to meet-"

I froze.

…_you._

As Percy kept walking towards me, it all seemed to fit together.

The son named Noah.

JoJo, a mom who was never there.

Being a teacher with a crazy student named Alice.

Having a son obsessed with soccer.

Living in New York and regretting breaking a girl's heart because of his son.

How could I have missed it?

My heart began to beat faster as I thought about everything else in a different light.

As I thought about the _truth_…

When we were supposed to meet at the Ice Cream Shop, we ran into each other in this park. And we started screaming about everything, and I found out that Noah was only five, not six like I had thought. I suddenly couldn't see AB, and I went home to tell AB that we should wait to meet.

AB told me his story. He told me that he had been with this girl basically forever and that he had wanted to marry her. He told me about how he had always had this image in his head about the live that they would have together and that it hurt that it was gone. But that I shouldn't feel sorry for him because the break-up was his fault, and he hadn't been the victim.

Everything.

It was all there.

How the Hades could I be so stupid?

I felt like I was about to cry. Or throw-up. Or both.

But I couldn't do any of it because I was frozen.

It took a long time for me to notice that Percy had reached me, and Percy was frozen in front of me, too.

"You're-You're…" I couldn't finish because I felt like the apple I just ate was about to come back up.

"I-I didn't know how to tell you…." Percy trailed off, and I felt my entire world crash.

He…he knew.

Seaweed Brain knew…

"You-You knew! You knew that I was WG, and-and you didn't say anything! You didn't tell me. Gods, I-I told you about AB, and I told AB about Percy," I felt flustered, and my words came out weird. But I didn't care.

"Annabeth," Percy began, but I shook my head.

I had betrayed by both.

I couldn't pick one of them and live happily ever after.

I could have neither…

It was weird. I had known that I would have this career-oriented life, and I had even planned on it. I was completely fine with it a few weeks ago.

But, now, the idea hurt.

It didn't matter though.

"No, Annabeth, I am not losing you again without even trying, okay?" Percy's eyes watered, "When this happened, I was about to get on a plane for Thanksgiving to ask your father for your hand in marriage, alright? And then you got mad at me, and you left for a month. And I was crushed. Grover tried to cheer me up, and he took me out. And I made a mistake."

Percy brushed his hands through his hair and shook his head.

"No, being with JoJo was a mistake. Getting drunk like that was a mistake. Giving in was a mistake. But Noah wasn't my mistake. I love that kid, he's my son. And it was either you or Noah, and I just couldn't make a decision like that, you know?" Percy kept going, and I couldn't get myself to stop him.

I knew I probably should.

And I had this urge to run and leave.

But I strangely wanted to hear it.

"But I just… I want both of you. I love you, and I love Noah. And I tried to go find you. I tried. But you had already left, and, the next thing I heard about you, you never wanted to see me again. And I-I just gave up. And I shouldn't have. But I did. When I was about to really try to find you, I found out that you were with that guy, Henry. And-And…." Percy shook his head, not sure how to say what he wanted to say.

What he_ needed_ to say.

"Then I started talking to WG, and I just… I fell for her. And I asked her one day why her name had 210 in it, and she told me. Then I saw the bag, and I just… I just knew. I saw this chance, okay?" Percy took a deep breath, "To get you back. And I know that you love me, too. Or you love AB. And that's me. That's who I am after all of this craziness."

Percy was beginning to ramble.

"I know that you will probably walk away. And that you want to. And that you should. And that you are probably better without me. But I just…" he hesitated, "I don't want you to."

I suddenly felt sick, but it was different.

Not throw up.

Or lay on the couch all day, moaning for someone to be my servant and get me everything I ask.

Or anything like that.

Actually, it was… butterflies in my stomach.

I felt like I was a teenager again, leaning in to kiss Percy for the first time.

And suddenly that was all I could do.

While Percy was scrambling for words, I felt my eyes water, and I pulled him into the tightest hug I could manage without injuring either of us.

And Percy stood still, completely shocked.

And I just began to cry.

He wrapped his arms wrapped tightly around me, and I buried my face in his shoulder.

"I called you here to tell AB that I wanted Percy."

Percy's lips spread into a smile. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry, so I did both.

It was true, wasn't it?

Sure, a few minutes ago, I would have walked out of here and never come back. But I couldn't…

Blame Aphrodite, I sure would later on when we had fights. But I couldn't control how I was when I was around Percy.

Rachel was right.

He is my kryptonite.

"I promise I'll never do anything like this again. I promise, I really do," Percy ran his hand through my hair, "I promise."

He just kept repeating it, like it was all he could say.

"I-I love you, Percy," my salty tears wet his shirt, but I didn't move an inch.

"I am so sorry. I-I should have told you about AB. But I had already lost you once…" Percy looked down at me, about to go off on another long speech.

But I just got on my tippy toes to kiss him, but I stopped just a few inches from his lips.

It was almost intoxicating to be this close to him. I had always thought it was just being a hormonal teenager, but it really had been Percy that gave me that high.

And I hadn't even realized how much I missed it.

It was like one of those things you miss from home when you go to college. Like how I had missed my favorite little spot in the kitchen in California. I always went there in the morning to laugh at my little brothers and not be in the danger zone for them pouring their apple juice on me. It was something I never thought about but it was like a huge homecoming when I got back to it.

I knew I missed Percy. I missed those little things he did, actually I missed everything. But I never thought about that little high that I got when I was about to kiss him.

"I-" I felt tears run down my cheek, "I love you."

And it was true.

I hadn't honestly said that to anyone since…well, since we broke up.

So, I just couldn't stop saying it. It was like word vomit, it just came up and up. And I didn't care either.

"I love you, Wise Girl."

And I began to cry like an Aphrodite Girl watching the Royal Wedding.

Gods, I have got to talk to Aphrodite about this. This could get annoying. _Fast._

_**There is more in this story, don't worry.**_

_**Too much fluff? Well, this is the big Percabeth moment. Fluff is needed. **_

_**Warning. ABOUT TO COMPLAIN. But you know me, so you probably didn't need the warning. ;-D**_

_**I hope you liked it. I know it maybe needed something, but I liked it and here it is. AHHH, FUTURE! I have got to talk to you, but the wedding is driving me insane. Seriously, my parents are spending more on this wedding for my cousin than they will probably spend on my wedding! And, if I have to spend another minute with her party-girl friends who are sweet when sober but have the IQ of dryer lint after a glass, I am going to pull my coussin Kelly away from his seat and give him fifty bucks to put on my bridesmaid dress and pretend to be me. But I am sucking it up and **_**shutting**_** up, though I am ninety percent sure that I will fall off the stair that she picked for me to stand at like I did at the rehearsal. It's her wedding not mine.**_

_**But I just want to complain! UGH!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Annabeth,**_

I woke up to the sound of my cell phone blaring with my brother's specially set ringtone.

With my eyes still shut because I planned on going back to sleep after I talked to him, I felt around on the end table for my iPhone.

I didn't want to answer, but I knew that I had to answer for work.

Sometimes owning a business with your brother is the worst thing you could do.

"Hello?"

"Annabeth, I've been trying to call you. I heard you didn't come in yesterday."

"Uh, yeah, I didn't feel good."

I wasn't lying.

I had been freaking out after what happened with Percy, and my brain hadn't been able to function enough to go to work. So, I called in to Aubry and made sure that my sibling, Alex, gave the big presentation while I was out sick.

I think I told them I had a virus.

Or that I had poison ivy?

"Yeah. Alex took over the presentation, and he sent me an email last night that we got it. Everything is fine. I'm coming in today to finalize everything," I sat up in bed, and I reached to turn on the lamp, even though the sun was already bringing in enough light.

"What's up then? Aubry said you had a virus."

"Well, it wasn't really a virus, per say. More of a stomach bug, and I knew that we were still recovering from that flu epidemic. So, I didn't want to cause any more trouble."

Not true this time. Or, at least, if Malcolm found out, he would actually get mad about me saying this.

But I wasn't quite at the point to tell everyone yet.

I had to think of a way to tell Rachel first. And, compared to telling her, everyone else would be a piece of cake.

It still felt weird to think about the fact that we were actually together.

This actually _happened_.

It wasn't some sappy romantic comedy movie that every girl has secretly watched a million times. It wasn't a romance movie where the lead couple spend two hours running around and being ridiculous since everyone in the audience knew they needed to be together until thirty minutes before the end when they decide that they are meant to be and get married. And this wasn't a Jane Austin book where the girl married the man she loved despite the rules of their society saying they shouldn't.

This was real life.

Well, it wasn't exactly normal since Aphrodite was so interested in us, but it was as close to real life as we could ever get.

But I couldn't fight the dear that I would wake up, and I would be back in LA, sleeping in the giant penthouse Henry and I renovated. That I would be wearing my way-too-big engagement ring and business suit, fixing coffee as Henry told me about which health foods were worth it and which you were better off without.

The thought made me a little sick.

When I was with Henry, I wasn't unhappy. But I wasn't happy either.

And eventually I couldn't take it any longer…

I never, ever wanted to get that way now. And I honestly didn't think I would.

Malcolm was beginning to worry about work, but I cut him off before he could complain too much.

"Listen, I'll come in early today. You can take the kids to school, and don't worry. Everything is fine. Great, even."

Sometimes I felt more like Malcolm's mom than his sister.

"Alright, I'll see you at nine, okay?"

Then I need to be in by eight.

Perfect…

I looked over the clock to see that it was six AM.

"I'll come in at eight. Bye, Malcolm," I pressed the end button before Malcolm would ask me to come in at seven.

I moaned as I put my head to the headboard, and I sat back up in pain.

Right, this was Percy's wooden bed.

Not my soft cloth bed.

Yeah, so I spent the night.

"You're up," Percy came back in the room, brushing his teeth and reaching for his jacket with the seal for the private school he worked for on the heart. He usually didn't have to wear the jacket, but this was the day where all of the parents came in to see what he was teaching their kids.

He had to dress the part.

"You didn't try wake me up," I crossed my arms, trying to look angry, but my smile gave me away.

"I _tried_. I just didn't _succeed_. You punched me in the nose."

"I did not."

"Yeah, you did. A baby punch. Nothing is broken, but it hurt like Hades."

"When does Noah need to wake up?"

I was pretty sure that Noah already knew since Percy and I were inseparable yesterday.

We went together to pick Noah up, and I even let Noah put off doing his math homework to curl up and watch a movie with us. For dinner, we ordered beef and bacon pizza, his favorite, and Percy and I didn't take a lot of effort to hide the PDA.

But Noah hadn't said anything about it.

I expected him to tell me that line he heard in _When Harry Met Sally_ about how men and women can never really be friends. But he didn't bring it up.

Instead, he told us all about what happened at his soccer game, even using the salt and pepper shakers as a goal and a peperoni as a soccer ball to reenact how he and Sam worked together to get the winning goal. And then he complained about how long it was taking for Kate to understand soccer and how he thought it was weird because she was so smart.

It was like they had adopted me into their family, and I had to admit that I liked it.

Percy came near me to look at the clock.

"A few minutes."

I moaned.

"Tell him this morning, I guess?"

"I wanted to tell him yesterday," Percy raised his hands in surrender, and I picked up a random pillow and threw it at Percy, who just laughed and kissed the top of my head, "If you don't want to do it today, I can wait a little bit to wake him up so that you can go ahead and get out of here."

Tempting.

Very temping.

But we might as well get it out of the way.

"It's fine, today works. We should just go ahead and do it."  
Percy nodded.

Noah probably wouldn't have noticed that I was wearing the same thing I wore yesterday, but I didn't care.

I tried to hide it.

I borrowed one of Percy's button-up shirts, which was way too big for me, but I concealed that with my red jacket and my belt. And I struggled to brush the bedhead out of my curls as Percy went to wake up Noah.

He probably wouldn't have cared.

But I still remembered the first time that my step-mother slept over, and, somehow, seeing her in the same floral dress as the day before made me hate her even more.

Finally seeing that I looked different enough from last night, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and came out to the kitchen, where Noah rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Annabeth?"

I sat down on the kitchen counter beside him, ruffling his black hair.

"Hey, Cutie."

"You're here?"

I wanted to tell him some long story about how I wanted to see him this morning and just fell asleep here. But I decided to just go along with it to tell him later.

"Yeah," I nodded, not going into it.

"You know, I like when you're here in the morning," Noah told me as Percy put out French Toast.

"Why?"

"Because Daddy makes French Toast."

I smiled and kissed his black curly hair, which reminded me so much of Percy.

It was weird to see a little kid and see the grown man standing beside you.

Suddenly, I felt the same love that Percy felt for Noah.

Well, maybe I didn't since that was Percy's little baby in his arms. But I loved Noah so much…

Secretly, I had wished it hadn't happened before. I had wished that Percy hadn't gone out that night and run into JoJo. I wished that we had just gone on with our lives after I came back. I had wished that we adjusted into our life again and that we finished out the plan, getting engaged and getting married. I wished that we had our own little Noah.

But I suddenly couldn't think of being without him.

"Is that the only reason you like Annabeth?" Percy asked as he wrapped his arms around me, basically making it obvious for his son.

"No, she's funny, too, and smart."

"Thank you, Noah."

"Are you two dating?"

_Well, don't take so much time with it, Noah…_

I looked to Percy, silently asking him to tell him instead of me.

"Well…" Percy laughed, kissing my cheek, "Yeah."

"So men and women can't be friends?" Noah's smile widened that he was right.

"What?" Percy looked to me.

"They _can_ be friends, Noah."

"What about you two then?"

"If men and women can't be friends, that means that you and Kate can't be friends, Noah."

Noah froze, and I smiled victoriously.

Finally, he won't turn into Harry from _When Harry Met Sally_…

"_Check. Mate_," Percy smiled.

_**Percy,**_

"Do you realize that you are the only girl who I dated that Noah has ever liked?"

Annabeth was so mesmerized by my son that my heart was beginning to warm.

She had that look.

What I called the Sally look.

Even though I was thirty now, my mother still had that look in her eyes as she looked at me. Her eyes got warm, reminding me almost of cinnabons fresh out of the oven. Her smile was always gentle, like she was almost about to cry. And you could almost feel her love around her.

JoJo had that look, I guess.

Her blue eyes got soft, and she let out a weak smile as she ran a hand through our son's dark head of hair. She had a bright smile, but then JoJo would ruffle his hair and bring out her expensive smart phone and going on her latest favorite Social Media app to talk to her friends about her wonderful mother moment.

"I am? I thought he always wanted you to find someone," Annabeth looked up at me, her grey eyes still with their brightness and a gentle smile on her lips.

"Well, he wanted me to find someone. But he didn't like the someone's I introduced him to," I smirked, and Annabeth continued to smile proudly as she looked down to Noah.

"Well thank the gods he didn't," Annabeth nudged me, "Otherwise you never would have started talking to WG."

"And you wouldn't have forgiven me."

"And we wouldn't be here. Try to stay on the lighter side of what happened, Percy."

"You are in a really good mood. Anything I need to worry about?"

"I shouldn't be happy?"

Well, I was happy.

But I had always been the more emotional one out of the two of us.

Annabeth loved me but she didn't need to show it all the time, and she was so secretly scared of becoming one of those Aphrodite girls (or worse, those Helen Homemaker Demeter girls) that I was surprised she told me she loved me at all.

"No, just any problems," I laughed, "An Aphrodite spell? Mood swing that could change on me at any moment? Drinking?"

"Mood swing? Drinking?" Annabeth shook her head, "Spell, probably."

"Our Aunt Aphrodite-"

"I thought she was your niece."

"_Your_ Aunt Aphrodite-"

"And I thought she was born from the sea? I mean, I'm pretty tired, but I don't think she was Zeus's child by most accounts. So, she wouldn't be my aunt either."

"Annabeth," I looked down at her, and I couldn't help but smile that my little Brainac was back.

"I'm just saying."

"Rub it in that I'm a Seaweed Brain."

"I'm not _rubbing_ it in, per say."

"Aphrodite is getting my thanks, okay?"

Annabeth smiled and leaned up, careful not to disturb the sleeping five year old in her arms, and she kissed me.

I felt like I was on cloud nine, or whatever cliché comment I'm supposed to make at a time like this. But, whatever it was, I honestly could just explain it as my brain felt like it was going to melt to my feet.

And, then, Noah let out a little 'mmmh' and curled up closer to me and Annabeth.

"I'll put him to bed."

Annabeth looked down to how his arms were wrapped around her waist, not mine.

"I'll take him. Can you put on some news? If I don't see what's going on in the world, I will_ kill_ the creators of _Zeke and Luther_."

"You can have them. I want to kill the people who made _Jessie_ and that weird thing about Ants or something?" I shook my head, and Annabeth smiled as she picked up Noah gently and started carrying him to his room.

I was alright with the TV, but I still wasn't good with electronics, no matter how many Hephaestus children opened companies for devices made for Demigods. And I especially was _horrible_ with our stupid DVD player.

I struggled with the remote, and it felt like forever until I finally changed it to the regular TV, where _E!_ first came up.

And I was about to change it when I saw the new update from the handsome star.

"Henry Alexander confirmed on facebook that his last relationship with Claire Williams," the screen behind him turned to a picture of Henry with the latest starlet in Hollywood, "has ended. And people are beginning to wonder if Henry is really over his ex-fiance, Annabeth Chase."

Somehow, I couldn't get myself to change the subject as they showed the official engagement picture of Annabeth and Henry.

That still hurt a little bit, but it wasn't as bad as earlier.

"What on earth are you watching?" Annabeth asked as they did a close-up of the pretty woman who worked with the other host, but then they went back to two pictures of Henry side-by-side of him with Annabeth and Claire.

She sat down beside me to watch the episode with me, and she curled up to me, probably to keep me from thinking too hard about how she had been engaged to Henry.

"But Annabeth Chase seems to be moving on just fine!" the woman smiled, "With a new beau!"

They showed a picture of us all yesterday.

We had only really been dating for a week, though it felt like forever.

And yesterday we went out to Noah's favorite pizza place after his soccer game.

That was the picture on the screen.

Noah was looking up at both of us, telling us all about how Coach Hawthorne had told him that he was one of the best players he had ever coached. My arm was wrapped around Annabeth, and she was leaning into me with the smile she hadn't stopped wearing since we got back together. I was kissing Annabeth's cheek, and she held Noah's hand as we kept walking.

"That was fast."

"They must have been trying to get this story forever," Annabeth shook her head, almost steaming from anger like in a cartoon.

"Though nothing has been confirmed, everyone knows that Annabeth Chase is with this man, Percy Jackson. From what I've heard, they were high school sweethearts and best friends as children. They got back in touch when Annabeth moved back to New York City, and they got back together recently," the woman kept going, and Annabeth's jaw dropped as they kept going, basically getting it all right.

"Now who is the little kid?" the other host smiled, and the woman finished off her full account of us.

"That is his son, Noah. And little Noah is a star himself at his school, where he is the favorite soccer player."

"Oh. My. Gods."

Annabeth and I looked to each other, and she finally let a little grin play on her lips.

"You don't mind being a little famous, do you?"

* * *

_**Alright, not where I thought I would go with this chapter, but it is finally here.**_

_**Anyway, I kind of have this crush on a guy named Kobe, and our moms have been friends forever. So, she has not made her want for us to have a Long-Distance-Relationship of any kind very quiet. We went over there because they were watching the dogs for a few hours for us, and I went to talk to his little brother because Kobe was out and Carter is he kept looking from his bookshelves to me, and finally he just looked at me and said, "You look just like Katniss."**_

_**Let me just add some things into the picture. I was tired, and there were bags under my eyes. I was wearing ancient tennis shoes and a loose blue dress. And my hair was mess. And he thought I looked like Jenifer Lawrence when she had brown hair. And, when I told my mom and friends, they were all like "Oh my God! You**_** do**_**! Only your lips are thicker, and you're curvier!"**_

_**Then he brought it up to his older brothers, all of which are like gods in our town and all in love with Jennifer Lawrence, and immiedately I'm not the little seven year old they met when our mom's introduced us.**_

_**I think you can understand why I love Carter now.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Annabeth,**_

"Gods, those stupid reporters," Rachel began as her salad and my burger with fries came to the table, "They're always trying to find something to talk about. But Percy? That is just low! As if you two would ever get back together."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her berry salad, and I hesitated.

When the report on E! aired, it was almost immediately that people started calling me.

Grover was happy that we were all back together again.

Chiron was relieved that he didn't have to be careful about mentioning me around Percy or vice versa.

Juniper informed me that we had to get married fast and get pregnant soon so that our children could be friends.

Dana made jokes about how we had met again when I babysat her kids and Noah, and I had to bite my tongue not to tell her about AB and WG.

Malcolm was worried for his favorite sister.

And Athena and I started screaming at each other in the living room until we accidentally woke Noah up, and Percy and I had to spend the next half-hour calming him down with Spongebob and brownies, though the brownies were mainly to calm me down.

Last night had been long and horrible, and it had been a relief to finally have everyone simmer down at two in the morning and crawl into bed and fall asleep in Percy's arms.

When I woke up, I found that I had a text from Rachel.

She had been at Camp all last week, and the Aphrodite girls had crowded around her this morning asking if it was true about me and Percy. From what Rachel had told me, they saw as the new Harry and Sally or whatever romantic comedy they were in love with at the time.

"Are you alright? You usually dig into their food here," Rachel asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion as she sipped at her Sprite.

"I'm just tired," I shrugged as I ate a French fry and kept thinking of the way to tell her

"So, tell me," Rachel asked, "I've been trying to play it cool, but how did it go with AB? I tried to call you, but you were out? Did you spend the entire _week_ with him? What's his kid like? Have you met him yet? Come on! I need _details_!"

Rachel's smiled was wide, almost wild with giddiness.

"It went great with AB. I love him, I really do," I smiled, "And I basically spent the entire week with him, and it was perfect. I met his son, and I love him to death. And, well…."

"Well what?" Rachel sounded excited, as if she was a friend waiting for her best friend to inform her that she was about to become a godmother or something.

I didn't want Rachel to be mad, but I knew she would be.

I loved Percy, and that was all that mattered, right?

It should be.

But I understood where Rachel was coming from.

Percy slept with JoJo, and, though it was while we were separated, he never told me. And he didn't tell me about Noah either. He just left, and he let me wonder what it was for six years.

Rachel knew the whole story, but she saw it simply.

Percy had a child with another woman.

That was all she saw and all she really wanted to see.

"Well, you told me to call you, so I did."

Rachel knit her eyebrows in confusion.

She didn't remember the conversation when she told me that I was addicted to Percy, which was actually true though I wouldn't tell her that.

"You told me to call you when this became something more than _not being addicted, being his friend, and babysitting his son."_

Rachel's green eyes widened.

"Buh-but what about AB? And-and you can't be with Percy! He's Percy!"

"He is Percy, and he's _AB._"

"What?"

I nodded, maybe a little too gi/ddy.

"Well," I smiled, pretending that we still had the same mood as earlier when Rachel was begging for details, "I went there, and I suddenly realized that I wanted Percy. And I was standing there, waiting to meet AB and break the news that this was it for us, and there he comes. Percy! And he told me everything about how he regretted his mistakes but that having Noah was never one of them, and-"

"So he lied to you about being AB! First, he lies about having a son. Then about being the guy you're in love with online! That's low. That's _evil!_"

"Rachel, two minutes ago, you wanted me to run off with AB and elope!"

"That was before I knew he was Percy!"

"But he is! And I love him, alright? I don't care what you think. I am going to be with him either way, I just wanted my best friend to have my back."

"What happened to you? You used to be so careful!"

"But I don't want to be careful anymore. I want to be stupid. I want to take chances. And I want to be with Percy, and I will be. I don't care if Athena screams at me or if Malcolm is worried or if you disapprove. In the end, this is about us, not you," I crossed my arms.

I was determined not to care if anyone said anything about it, but I couldn't help but want my best friend to agree with me.

"And that is your final say on the matter?" Rachel watched me carefully.

She wanted me to change my mind, pack up my bags, and go back to the original plan for when I moved back to New York.

She wanted me to leave my family-oriented apartment and get the high-rise next to hers. Rachel wanted us to go out and have fun and laugh about exes. She wanted to have a say in who I dated, and, because I knew her so well, she wanted me to know that she was probably right about the guy. And she wanted us to make the top of New York magazines most successful single women, something that I had won five years ago.

When I came to the city, I wanted that, too.

But now I wanted this life with Percy.

I wanted to take Noah to soccer practice and embarrass him by cheering. I wanted to come home to Percy and hear funny stories about Alice. I wanted to wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking and Spongebob playing in the living room for Noah. I wanted to marry Percy and maybe even have a little Noah of our own one day.

Look at me….

It took Henry years to convince me to marry him, and he hadn't dared bring up having kids.

But Percy?

He has me wanting to marry him and have his kid immediately.

Funny, huh?

"Yes."

Rachel hesitated.

"What if he hurts you again?" her voice was softer.

"Then you get to tell me that I was wrong and you were right."

"You're really happy with him?"

I nodded with a big smile.

I was happier than I had been in a long time.

Rachel moaned but let out a weak smile.

"I love you, Annabeth. I may not love Percy, but you're happy. And that's great."

If it was possible, my smile widened, and I quickly slid out of my booth to hug her.

"Now, I still want details about your week. What did you and Percy do all week?" Rachel nudged me, and I grinned slyly.

It was nice to have my best friend back.

Well, both of them….

_**Percy,**_

"I think you should move in, Annabeth."

My eyes widened at Noah as I finished buttoning up his soccer ball pajamas, and Annabeth almost dropped the bowl of barbeque chips on the couch.

Annabeth and I had been together for three weeks, and I had to admit that I loved every second of it.

She had basically moved in, too. She was always here, except for when she needed to do things for work, and Annabeth had decidedly claimed part of my closet and two drawers for her stuff. And Annabeth had filled my bathroom with hair supplies and had me scared to look in the bottom drawer because I know that used to be the place she hid Midol and tampons.

Though I did sometimes miss my space, I liked having her here.

And it was amazing to see how Noah adjusted into having a mom-figure in his life, too.

There was no slow ease into the relationship.

They were inseparable in minutes.

"Move in?" Annabeth finally asked, sitting on the couch and staring at Noah.

My son nodded.

"You're always here anyway. And Katylin's mom moved in with her boyfriend, and he proposed two months later. And I want you two to get married."

I stared at him, and Annabeth tried not to laugh.

"Married?"

Noah nodded again, and he plopped on the couch beside Annabeth.

But I was so shocked that I stayed on the floor, watching the two of them.

"Yes," Noah smiled wide, and Annabeth had to bite her tongue not to laugh at how adorable he was.

"I'm fun when I'm here like this, but are you sure you want to put up with me all the time? I mean, even I can get annoying."

_Can_, sure. She _can_ get annoying.

Like when she starts rattling on about random facts or makes you feel like a Seaweed Brain.

But I didn't say anything.

"I really want you here, Annabeth," Noah smiled up at Annabeth, and Annabeth's lips formed a smile.

Annabeth liked to take things slow in case they went sour.

It was miracle that she was referring to me as her boyfriend already, and my jaw had dropped when she curled up around me last night, looked me in the eyes, and told me that she loved me. She said it before, but this was the first time she had ever _really_ said it since we had gotten back together.

I had never been good at slow.

But I was trying so that I wouldn't lose Annabeth again.

So moving in together?

That had been way off in the future, if ever.

But now I saw that smile.

I remembered that smile perfectly.

It had been about six years ago, probably more, when my roommate, John, announced that he was marrying his girlfriend and that they had decided to move into his apartment, which was actually _our_ apartment. But I was nice about it and congratulated him, mumbling about it as I went searching for a new apartment.

Since I had the chance, I decided not to wait until I was older like I had planned, and I asked Annabeth to move in with me.

I knew she was going to say no, but then this bright smile spread across her lips. And that we'd see.

Three weeks later, we were unpacking our stuff into a modern apartment near her office.

"Well, how about your dad and I talk about it, and I stay tonight, hmm?"

She was staying tonight anyway, but Noah smiled as if it was only for him.

He nodded that he liked that idea, and Annabeth smiled at me, letting out a silent laugh and motioning for me to come sit by her and Noah.

I pulled my arm over Noah, and it felt nice that he curled up to me instead of Annabeth.

He and Annabeth had gotten so close that I had to admit that I was a little jealous.

I wanted Noah to be in a family with two parents, but I had gotten so adjusted to being his only parent that it felt weird that he had someone else he wanted to pick him up from Soccer practice. I still couldn't get over the shock that I felt when Noah woke up screaming last night and only wanted Annabeth to calm him down.

Annabeth had laughed when I freaked out about it, reminding me that I had always wanted that for my son, but it felt weird that it was actually here now…

"Are you alright?" Annabeth whispered in my ear as Noah laughed at some stupid joke, and I felt a quick race of my heart.

"I'm fine," I nodded, keeping the same whisper, "Just thinking."

"About what Noah said, huh?" Annabeth let out a small laugh.

"What do you think about it?"

"I think he's so adorable. I mean, what kind of kid is cute enough to come up and say that a woman should move in with his dad so they'll get married?" Annabeth laughed, "I-"

"No, I mean about us moving in together."

This made Annabeth pause.

"Isn't that early?"

But I could see in Annabeth's grey eyes that she didn't care about that part.

She wanted to though.

She wanted to be careful Annabeth, the daughter of Athena who never wanted to have regrets.

"Yeah, it is, but I was just wondering how you thought about it."

Annabeth hesitated, her mouth forming the word 'No', but then she stopped.

Finally, a small smile spread across her lips.

The same smile that she had worn when she first said we should move in together.

"We'll see."

I smiled wide and nodded.

That was a yes.

"We'll see."

* * *

_**I know this is moving fast, but I have something big planned for you in about two chapters, and I'm trying not to drag on the in between part. A little hint, a certain flight from LAX arrives with a passenger no one wants to see….**_

_**Okay, and I just made it completely obvious.**_

_**I just finished unpacking my room today! God, I am losing my mind without those built-in book shelves in my closet, but, in the small bookspace I have available, I have an entire box (it's a box-book shelf thing) devoted to PJO. And there is a space waiting for The Mark of Athena. I have reached full Geek-Dom.**_

_**Oh, and my favorite park of my room right now is the bag that says "Cute and Nerdy". They were so close to HAWTgeek but couldn't go through… (Someone asked what HAWT meant, it means HOT but "HAWT" was in Clique, and my first fanfic was a clique story. So…*shrug*)**_

_**Warning, it may be a while before I update. I am trying to wrap some stories up, and it's taking longer than I thought it would. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Percy,**_

"And this is it," Annabeth smiled as she put the final dress on the hanger.

Annabeth and I had spent the last two weeks working out everything for the big move.

We wanted it to be peaceful, not rushed and hard. So we slowly went to every room deciding what we could get rid from my stuff and what we could get rid of from Annabeth's stuff. Annabeth worked out where everything would go, even the long battle over the limited closet space.

Everything was going fine, and she was set to move in two weeks from now when her brother called a few days ago and announced that her apartment had already been rented out to April, Lucas, and son Gabe Greene. And, as Annabeth was dropping Kate and Sam off after picking them up from school, Malcolm announced that she had to be out by the end of this week as if it was just a small little change.

Annabeth freaked out, as you can probably imagine.

The stress made her a little crazy, but packing made her worse.

The memories were enough to make her emotional, but having to say goodbye to some of it?

Let me just say that I was beginning to wonder if I would _ever_ see my girlfriend emotionally stable again.

And I still wasn't sure…

Today, I had been enlisted to lift anything- and _everything_- heavy to meet Annabeth's demands.

Only Noah had been able to escape, going to go play with Christine's granddaughter, Alexis, and Kate next door.

Was it wrong that I was jealous of my five year old son?

No, not when you are unpacking with precise Annabeth.

She made me move the desk five times because she thought it needed more of a tilt but that I made it have too much of a tilt.

"That's it?" I asked skeptically, "I don't want to get my hopes up, Annabeth."

"That's it," Annabeth smiled as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "Tomorrow, I can take the extra stuff to good will."

Annabeth looked to the box labeled _Annabeth's Clothes_ that she had decided to get rid of, most of which my teenage students would kill each other to get at.

"But we are finished for today," Annabeth smiled wide.

Finished for today.

I knew that tomorrow she would make me fill the car with stuff to goodwill (which I would have to carry) and the stuff that she wanted to give to Rachel, and I knew that I would probably be expected to change the little things that Annabeth felt needed to be moved.

But, for today, I could pretend not to know that and relax with my two favorite people in the world.

"You're in a happy mood."

Annabeth had been on an emotional rollercoaster during the move, but she had been mainly leaning on the crying side.

The smiling side had almost been forgotten.

"We're finally done," Annabeth kept smiling as she nudged me, "Would you like me to cry again? Or start yelling at you for being a Seaweed Brain?"

"No, happy works. Let's all be happy," I kissed her forehead, and she stared at me.

"You missed."

"What?"

"You," Annabeth got closer to me, "_missed._"

Annabeth closed the distance between the two of us and kissed me.

How many times had I kissed her?

I can't even count that high.

But I felt my brain melt every time…

It's like it's our first kiss, the only difference that we had both gotten better since then.

It was like a drug, and I was once again addicted. I couldn't imagine how I had gone the last six years without it…

And I couldn't imagine going without it ever again…

I suddenly thought to the ring that I had almost bought yesterday.

Why was I even thinking proposing?

We had been together for about a month.

It was a miracle that she agreed to move in with me. Why on earth did I want to push my luck like that?

But I did…

_So_ much.

"I love you, Percy," Annabeth smiled as she pulled away to take a breath and push my hair out of my eyes.

"You do?"

"I've told you like a _million_ times," Annabeth laughed, and I nodded.

"I know. But I'm just asking. Do you love me?"

"Yeah, I do," Annabeth nodded, "My mother would _kill_ me if she heart me. But I love you. What about you, Perce?"

"I love you, too. And I have no one who would kill me for it. Well, except for your mom."

Annabeth began to laugh, and she smiled wide.

"Ego diligo vos etiam."

"Alright, smarty pants. Go all Latin on me. Rub it in," I kissed the top of her head, and she laughed harder.

But then she got that face again.

Oh no, she's going to cry again…

"What's wrong?" I quickly asked, and Annabeth hesitated as she looked around.

"This just… feels familiar."

I felt sick.

"Henry?"

Her infamous ex.

They had been together for four years when Annabeth packed her bags and moved back to the East Coast.

Henry Alexander was a well-known chef on his way to becoming one of those day-time talk show host who talks about the healthiest things to do. He met Annabeth when his restaurant hired her to make their new building, and they started dating about a month later.

A magazine decided to write an article on how everyone had seen Annabeth go from the co-founder of a simple architecture company to one of the most powerful people on the world. And people started caring about Annabeth like she was a celebrity instead of the genius they had seen her as before.

When she got engaged, a magazine did a big story on the two of them. And, all of a sudden, they were just famous.

She and Henry broke it off a few months ago, right before their December wedding, and she moved back to New York.

Henry had tried to cling to the fame though to speed up his dream of the talk show.

"No, no," Annabeth shook her head.

She didn't often think about Henry from what I could tell.

"Us," Annabeth explained.

"What?"

"Moving in. Being happy. Everything perfect," Annabeth looked away, "This happened before. And… and…"

"Annabeth, we're going to be fine. I'm not going to get some girl pregnant and leave without saying anything," I tried to laugh, and Annabeth smiled weakly.

"I don't' know. I guess it's just that we're not exactly lucky, and I'm scared something will screw it up."

"Nothing will screw it up, Annie. Aphrodite has had enough fun with us. It's okay to be happy. You don't have to protect yourself in case it ends."

Annabeth smiled and nodded, closing the distance between us to kiss me again.

_**Annabeth,**_

"So…" Rachel nudged me as I put the box full of clothes that I planned on giving Rachel in her closet.

Rachel and I had once been the same size, but, when you live with a professional chef or have Percy making you all of these delicious treats, you can't exactly fit in a size four anymore.

I kept all of those little black dresses because I told myself that I would be able to wear it again one day.

But I gave up, happy with my size six, and I packed all of the extra too-small clothes into a box for Rachel.

"So what?" I asked as I closed the door to her closet and went down the stairs of her modern loft to the kitchen.

I knew my best friend pretty well. And we shared everything.

Especially Poptarts.

Yes, I had eaten with Percy at breakfast, who cooked like it was for Noah's entire soccer team instead of just Noah.

But moving had me starving.

"So what's up with you and Percy?"

"We're dating," I smiled with a shrug as I took a bite of a blueberry Poptart.

I liked to tease Rachel about her wanting to know so many details about our life, like we were her soap opera.

But I was really just trying to keep myself from sounding like a daughter of Aphrodite and telling her everything that happened with me and Percy in the last week that we had been living together.

Honestly, not much happened.

Noah accepted me into the family so easy that it was like I had always been there.

And Percy accepted me in as easily, too.

The hardest thing I had encountered was getting used to how they woke up so early.

At first, I assumed that Noah would sleep late for me, but I quickly found out that he and Sam had extra soccer practices in the morning while Percy went on to his school to get ready for his class.

And, if I wanted to see them in the morning, I had to get up, too.

"Come on, Annabeth," Rachel kept going, and I let a big wide smile cover my lips.

I couldn't hold it back anymore.

I made a mental note for me to kill Aphrodite for making me so romantic recently.

Well, no. So _emotional_.

I blamed it on the move when Percy brought it up, and a little of it was due to that. But it was mainly everything going on. I was emotional before the move, and the move just brought the reasons for crying or yelling or smiling.

I had been feeling that since Aphrodite brought me together, which she saw as giving me a gift, and it seemed she had been so excited that we were moving in together that she extended the gift….

"It's great," I admitted, sitting on the bright red couch, "I love it. I love Percy. And Noah. Everything is great, except for having to get up in the morning to early. But I really do love it. I love him, I love him so much."

"Aren't you in a lovey dovey mood?" Rachel nudged me as she sat across from me.

Ding-Dong.

"That'll be Apollo," Rachel stood.

"I can go," I pushed my hair behind my ear nervously.

Apollo had a sort crush on me.

Well, he liked that he couldn't have me, and he often tried to make that untrue, not that it had actually ever worked. Since we often had to work together, we had become friendly, not friends but friendly.

And I definitely didn't want to see him now, when he would tease me nonstop about Percy.

"No, stay. If you're here, he won't take as long. Otherwise, he'll test out his new poems for a girlfriend or something," Rachel nodded, and I hesitantly leaned back and finished my poptart as she opened the door.

"Oh, Rachel!"

I looked up.

Aphrodite.

I gasped, as I always did when I saw her.

Even though I knew she was the goddess of beauty, it still shocked me how beautiful she was…

Instead of how she usually formed to meet different people's definition of beauty, she had chosen one form today.

Her long blonde hair was curled and tumbling around her shoulders perfectly, with a ruby rose pin holding her hair out of her eyes. Her red jeans showed off her perfect jeans, and she walked with ease in her black stilettos. Her black shirt fit her well and showed off her curves, and her red blazer was unbuttoned to show her long diamond necklace.

And her face was without even one flaw…

"There is this boy-this _man_- named Oliver and-" Aphrodite froze as she saw me, and her smile widened, "Annabeth!"

She ran over to me-yes, _ran_, even in her heels- and sat down on the couch beside me.

"You and Percy. Percabeth," she smiled, holding my hand, "Well, it took long enough, Darling! Oh and little Noah. Can I say something about that little niece of yours and Noah? Maybe I should get to work on that…"

"Aphrodite, you look amazing as always," I tried to get her off the subject of Kate and Noah, "I actually need to talk to you."

"I know, you must be ecstatic about you and Percy getting back together. You two are so sweet," Aphrodite smiled, "You two are my favorite couple, you know. I even like you more than Helen and Paris! Helen became so annoying in the end, and she just went back to her husband! She didn't do anything about her lost love, barely even missed him!"

Aphrodite spoke as if that was the worst sin the woman could commit.

Not starting a horrible war and the end of Troy all because she decided her husband was boring and couldn't keep her skirt on when a new hot guy showed up…

But I wouldn't dare say that to Aphrodite, who had seen it as a Romeo-Juliet situation.

Though it wasn't fun being her favorite soap opera, it was even worse to get her mad at us.

"Well, I am. I love him, but I really can't stand much of all this crying. I'm so emotional-"

"What a gift? To feel everything strongly when there is so much to feel?" Aphrodite kept smiling.

"Yes, _but_ I don't feel like myself. And it is me that Percy loves," I tried to reason with her.

_It was harder than I remembered…._

"I know, Darling, I know. And stupid Hephaestus made me end it because he felt bad for you. Felt _bad_ for you! If only he could feel the strong passion as you did! Does that god feel anything?" Aphrodite rolled her eyes, about to go on a rant about her husband, but I cut in.

"Wait, it stopped?"

"Yes, about a week ago. It lingered for a few days as it ended, but it's gone," Aphrodite nodded, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

"B-But it's not gone."

"What _I _gave you is gone."

"What else could it be?"

Aphrodite smiled.

"Maybe Percy gave you something," Aphrodite's blue eyes lingered on my stomach.

"I-I'm…" my tongue ran dry.

"I don't know. Athena girls are so hard to tell. But you might be," her smile was wide and showed off her perfectly white teeth, as if this was the most amazing news she could ever give me.

"But I can't be!"

"Why can't you?"

"Well…" I trailed off, trying to think of an absolute reason that it would be impossible for me to be pregnant, "well…"

Aphrodite's phone buzzed, and she smiled.

"That's Oliver! I've got to go," Aphrodite stood and hurried out of the room, "I'll see you tomorrow, Rachel."

With that, the door slammed and she was gone.

Rachel and I looked between each other, my eyes wide and her mouth forming an _'O'_.

"Oh. My. Gods.

"What do we do now?" Rachel asked.

"Well, we find out."

* * *

_**I told you this would go fast for the big thing happening.**_

_**By the way, I was shocked by how many people didn't guess (YESS! I can actually give a hint without giving it away! *happy dance*)**_

_**I know this wasn't as good as it usually is, but I was shocked to find how long it would actually take to end **_**Once An Alpha, Always An Alpha**_** because I have so much to wrap up. **_

_**And, Future, I am having trouble with Kobe. I was almost over him, and then I saw him again. And boom, it's worse than ever. And, with worse than ever, I'm even **_**more**_** tongue-tied. And, well, he's **_**always**_** tongue-tied. If it wasn't for Carter bringing up Hunger Games after realizing I looked like Katniss, I would have been standing there like an idiot surrounded by four boys while his mom kept laughing about my incident with wasabi the day before (I put it on the back of my tongue, so, when the burn came, it hurt like Hades). Then of course his mom put us on the phone an hour later for me to explain the PSP at the condo, which he actually understood and I didnt, and then later said to my mom that she wanted me as a girl-friend-in-law because she really liked me... Wooow, do I ever shut up?**_

_**But another warning about update times.**_

_**The new sims came is arriving to my doorsteps tomorrow, and I'll be busy playing with that (I'm a sims geek, too). And I am trying to end Once An Alpha, as I've told you. I know it is horrible to leave suspense with "is she pregnant, is she not?" and who is coming in to make trouble, but I am sorry.**_

_**Okay, I am finally shutting up now!**_

_**;-D HAWTgeek ;-D**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Annabeth,**_

"Nothing will screw it up, Annie. Aphrodite has had enough fun with us. It's okay to be happy. You don't have to protect yourself in case it ends."

_Nothing will screw it up._

_Aphrodite is done with us._

_You don't have to protect yourself…_

I could kill that stupid Seaweed Brain right then.

So much for everything is fine.

_Nothing _is fine.

At all.

Everything is upside down. And not the good upside down that has kept me smiling for so long. Not the kind that made me think that I didn't have to go by the plan I made and that I could really be happy, instead of staring at the ceiling and wondering why I wasn't happy when everything is so perfect in the middle of the night.

This is the kind of upside down that breaks people up. That shoots everything to Hades.

Or that would leave me having to plan a funeral for Percy after my mother heard.

"Are you alright, Annabeth?" Rachel knocked on the door, and I snapped out of the trance of staring at it.

"Yeah," I picked up both of the little tests and came out of the bathroom, where Rachel was waiting impatiently.

"Well?"

I walked past her and collapsed onto the couch, and Rachel kept following after me.

"Annabeth, you're not pregnant. I'm sorry, Kiddo. I know you wanted a baby and that you don't exactly have much time left…"

I looked up at her and narrowed my eyes.

"Well, you're thirty. You've got to admit that the clock is ticking…" Rachel tried, and I kept glaring.

"Apparently it's not ticking fast enough," I shoved the two tests at her.

Her emerald green eyes widened eyes she saw the little pink plus sign.

How could this have happened?

We may not have been smart about how we told everyone we were dating, but we _were_ smart about this!

I refused to let anything get screwed up for us after everything we went through, and I had made sure that I took the pill every day. That he had protection. And that, even if that didn't work, it was far away from the time of month when it is easiest to get pregnant.

Well, except for-

Oh crap.

My dad was right…

It only takes once.

I moaned and hit my head with my hand.

In my lifetime, I had been mad at Percy many times.

_Many times._

But I had never had pregnancy hormones mixed in with it.

I made a mental note not to go anywhere near Percy for a while unless I wanted Noah and our little baby to grow up without a father.

I wished I could blame it all on my stupid Seaweed Brain.

_So I will,_ I told myself.

I would admit my guilt later, but, for now, it was all Percy.

"You're…" Rachel trailed off, still staring at test.

"I know," I hugged a random pillow, "I'm pregnant. Baby on board. With child. Expecting. Έγκυος."

I began to name off the word pregnant in every language I knew, which happened to be many, and Rachel kept staring, waiting for me to finish so that she could say something.

"But isn't this what you wanted? What you _both_ wanted? Another little kid?" Rachel asked, trying to soothe me.

"This is what we wanted. _Later_," I got up to get another Poptart but reached for a brownie instead.

Well, I'm pregnant.

I can eat what I want now.

"Well, this is the best time for it. I mean, you don't want Noah to be way older than the baby, right?"

I stopped to think about it.

She did have a point there, I suppose.

"And, a little while ago, you were telling me how much you love Percy and can't live without him."

"That's true," my voice was small as I bit into the brownie.

"So everything is going to be okay, Annie," she smiled as she came up to me, and I smiled.

Maybe it was a little… _out of order._

But this was good, right?

I mean, with Hera hating me, this is probably my one and only chance to get pregnant.

Secretly, I always wanted a baby. Well, I wanted _Percy's baby_.

And now there is this little person inside of me that is half my DNA and half his.

Suddenly, I was amazed at the thought.

That, in nine months, there would be this little baby who would call me _Mom _and Percy _Dad_. That there was little baby in my stomach, a person growing _inside _of me.

I put my hand on my stomach and silently willed the baby to move, and it might have just been me thinking it happened. But I could have sworn that I felt the little baby do a little flip.

_Your dad isn't a _complete_ Seaweed Brain, _I told the baby, _And I don't _really_ hate him. You'll love him, I promise. He's kind of like a big baby himself…_

I rolled my eyes.

And Rachel kept staring.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," I nodded, smiling wider, "You're right. This is great! I mean, this isn't 1959 or anything. I can get pregnant without being married. And the media won't like it, but it's none of their business… But my mother…"

I shook off the thought.

I would handle that when I was ready.

_On the kid's tenth birthday…_

"And Percy will be excited, too. I mean, he's made it clear that he wanted another kid, and-"

"Crap," I put my head in my hands.

"What?"

"How the Hades am I supposed to tell Percy that I'm pregnant?"

"You could just say it when you get home."

"But now isn't a good time, Rachel. Anyway," I shook my head, "Noah is always with us all the time."

"And you can't just tell him to go to his room? Or leave him watching Spongebob and go to your room?"

"Well, Noah is-"

Rachel crossed her arms and stared at me, and I stopped.

"What?"

"You're just trying to find an excuse."

"No, I am _not_," I crossed my arms indignantly.

"Yes, you are, Annabeth."

"I am not!" I began to feel like I was thirteen and screaming at my brother's about who _really_ broke the plate.

"He's going to find out, Annabeth."

"Really? Because I just thought he wouldn't notice when I came home with a kid nine months from now!" I screamed.

I regretted it.

Gods, I hate these mood swings.

"I'll tell him tonight," I nodded, and Rachel nodded in apology.

"Can I be godmother?" she smiled weakly, and I let out a small laugh.

"Could you share custody with Malcolm? I mean, Malcolm _is_ Noah's godfather I'm pretty sure. Why separate them?"

"You just want your baby to be in a house that has raised two kids before."

"Well… yeah," I nodded, and Rachel started laughing.

_**Percy,**_

_Annabeth Chase, will you marry me?_

_Annabeth, will you marry me?_

_Will you make me the happiest man in the world?_

Nah, too cheesy.

"What's that?"

I snapped the box closed, and Ashley kept staring.

"What are you doing out of your seat?"

Ashley held up her English test, and I blushed.

"Oh, right, I'll go ahead and start grading that," I took the paper, but Ashley didn't go back to her seat like I was praying she would.

She was still thinking about the little box I had just put back in the drawer.

"Was that an engagement ring?"

"What are you talking about?" I tried to be in denial as I leaned back into the chair, but the words _engagement ring_ had perked up everyone's ears.

"Engagement ring?" Rose asked.

"You're proposing?" David, the school flirt, had wide eyes as if he thought that no man should ever do that.

"You have a girlfriend?"

I stared at Alice, who was staring at me from her desk like I was an alien.

Yes, she talked a lot. Yes, she got too involved in my life, but she never did it without raising her hand.

This was a first for my crazy student.

"You didn't know?" Eva stared at Alice, "It's everywhere. He's dating _Annabeth Chase._ They dated in high school and got back together about a month ago. Where have you been?"

"Hey, did you guys really move in together?" Nora leaned up in her seat.

"Does Noah like her?" Eli asked.

I took a deep breath.

While I did love my job, my students were also demanding. And they would keep pestering me about it until I finally told them.

"Yes, I am dating Annabeth Chase. Yes, Nora, we did move in together. And , Eli, Noah loves her."

"But, Mr. Jackson, are you proposing?" Rose leaned closer, and I hesitated.

I reached into the drawer, and I brought out the little black box, taking a deep breath.

I flipped the box open, and they gasped.

"Oh my God!"

"It's gorgeous!" Rose jumped out of her seat to look at the ring in the box, being the big hopeless romantic in this class.

"When are you proposing?" one of my students smiled, Angela, I think. She didn't raise her hand much, and I really only have to talk to her when I have something with her name on it.

I felt a little excitement swell inside of me.

Or maybe it was fear.

Would Annabeth say no?

I mean, she had been a little angry towards me recently, but I could tell that she was just moody because she had also been lovey dovey a lot, too.

I blamed Aphrodite, trying to let her feel all of the emotions in this emotional time.

While I wished I could have my normal Annabeth back, I did love her still. And I was ready to propose, I really was.

I wanted to marry my Wise Girl.

And I think she wants to marry me, too…

Or at least I pray she does.

"Tonight actually."

"What do you think she'll say?" Alice asked, maybe a little scared.

What did she have a-?

"Do you think he would ask if he thought she'd say no?" Rose crossed her arms at Alice, and Alice rolled her eyes.

"So, how are you going to ask?" Angela kept going.

"Well," I tried not to blush, "I haven't picked that out yet."

"You should totally get down on one knee and be romantic! Traditional!" Rose smiled, gushing like the tween she was.

"You should be original!" another girl joined in, and I tried not to laugh, looking up to the clock.

"Alright, I will think about it. But you only have ten more minutes before your next class. Finish your quizzes."

They all moaned and went back to their English quizzes, and I snapped the ring box shut and put it in my drawer as I began to work on grading the quiz.

But I couldn't really get into it.

Would she say yes?

How am I even going to propose?

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out while my students weren't looking.

_Hey, how about we stay home tonight? Order pizza. I miss just talking to you._

_-Annabeth_

I smiled to myself.

Tonight is definitely the night. No more chickening out.

I sent off a text to her, and I began to plan what I would do.

_I'm sure she'll say yes_, I told myself,_ I love her and she loves me._

But I still felt a nervous fear, and I decided to focus on trying to figure out if I had been imagining it or if Alice had a crush on me.

_BRING!_

My students moaned, and the few who were still working on their quizzes turned it in before racing out.

Alice hesitated in front of my desk, and I stared at her.

"Are you alright, Alice?"

"Uh, yeah, Mr. Jackson. When is the next thing for student council?" she nervously asked, even though I knew she had it set into her Samsung Galaxy for all of her activities, especially Student Coucil, her favorite of all of them.

I knew that she was a crazy student, as the other teachers agreed with me, and I knew that she was crazier in my class.

But I had always assumed that it was just a passion for English.

"Tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson."

I smiled and let her go, quickly opening an email to WG, or Annabeth I better say.

**To: WiseGirl210**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**Hey, Annie. You should see this.**

**While Alice **_**is**_** completely crazy, especially when it comes to school, I think I figured out why she is especially crazy in my class.**

**But, of course, I am so handsome that she couldn't **_**not**_** have a crush on me ;-D.**

**Yes, Alice has a big old crush on me. I am such a Seaweed Brain to have missed this for so long.**

**Anyway, I'll tell you about it later. My next class is about to come in.**

**Love you.**

**-Perce**

* * *

_**Yes, she **_**is**_** pregnant!**_

_**I also wanted to show that he is planning on proposing the same night that she is planning to tell him about the baby. And I was thinking about it and realized that I had sort of described Alice as having a crush on him and decided to let him know. **_

_**Anyway, I am so sorry it took so long!**_

_**I had this horrible cold. We're moving, and my mom finally had her **_**Moving Meltdown**_**. My school books haven't arrived from K12 (Making me want to kill my teacher), and my mom's friend (Kobe's mom) even posted a picture of Kobe looking all hot on the couch, playing Xbox at the beach, with a caption thanking me for helping him through the phone the other day (She doesn't make it obvious, huh?). And I have been writing a lot in my book.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Percy,**_

I looked to my cell phone for the time.

I didn't have much time left until Annabeth would get here.

Maybe it wasn't a exactly normal proposal, but we weren't exactly a normal couple either.

Quickly double checking if the pizza had extra olives, I lit the candles leading from the front door to the backyard, where I had set up a picnic, exactly what she said she said we should do sometime before it gets too cold.

I sent off a quick text to Noah, making sure he was alright with Malcolm, and I reached into my pocket for the ring.

I silently sent out a prayer to every god that I could think of that Annabeth would say yes, and I even prayed to Hera, begging for forgiveness and a happy marriage with Annabeth if she said yes. And maybe I prayed for a kid or two…

But that was more of an _If You're At It…_ kind of prayer.

Just to be on the safe side, I threw an olive into the candles flame and watched it disappear for the goddess of love and beauty.

I took a deep breath as I picked up a random breadstick and took out the ring.

It had been my great grandmother's and my grandmothers, and I had planned on giving it to Annabeth six years ago and one day even giving it to our daughter. So ,when my mother found out that I was going to propose, she gave it to me to give to Annabeth.

Putting the breadstick back in the glass, I made sure that you wouldn't be able to see the ring until she brought it out.

"Perce? So Alice really-" Annabeth stopped, probably noticing the candles.

I smiled wide and waited for Annabeth to navigate through the apartment to the backyard, which was usually used as a place for Noah to play soccer.

When I got this place, he was only three, and I would take him out here to play outside and let me relax with a drink. But, when soccer came into his life, the relaxation was replaced with a soccer goal and the grass messed up from cleats.

But, tonight, I had changed that with the help from Juniper and a few suggestions from the goddess of love herself, though I had to admit that it had been a little annoying when she went on and on during the iris message.

Annabeth was smiling as she came to the door.

"This isn't _exactly_ what I meant when I said we should order pizza."

"Eh, but this is more fun," I smiled, and Annabeth dropped her bag at the door, ignoring the chime of her cell phone, and she pressed the fan to blow out all of the candles.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.

She was… gorgeous.

Annabeth seemed to be glowing in the candle light, and her curls were like gold. Her eyes seemed to be taking in everything about the moment, saving it for a moment when she might need it. As always, her business suit fit her well but was also professional.

_Why did she pick me?_ I asked myself, _She deserves a perfect man._

"We need to talk about something," Annabeth's face turned serious, and she seemed a little hesitant.

I suddenly got nervous.

_We need to talk?_

What could we need to talk about?

"Don't worry," Annabeth tried to calm me down after seeing how nervous I was, "It's not _horrible_ or anything. It's just talking."

I was still a little worried, but I decided not to let Annabeth know that.

This was still the night that I decided to propose, and I was _going_ to propose tonight. I wanted this to be just as perfect as I had planned it, and I was not going to let a conversation with Annabeth that could be serious or could be normal make me not be able to enjoy this.

"Okay, after I have a breadstick. I spent half of the day with Rachel, so Malcolm loaded me up with work. I missed lunch," Annabeth smiled giving me a quick peck, and fear hit me hard.

Would she say yes?

What did we have to talk about?

Every bad possibility ran through my mind.

Was she going to tell me that she was thinking about moving out because it was too soon? Was she about to get on a plane and jet off somewhere for work? Had she realized that I was right and decided that coming in and raising a kid was harder than she had anticipated and that maybe we needed to take our time with this?

_It's too soon,_ I scolded myself, _You are insane. How could you be such a Seaweed Brain?_

As luck would happen, probably for the best, Annabeth picked the breadstick with the ring, and she gasped as the ring fell to the soft grey blanket.

She was slow as she reached to pick up the ring, and she looked up to me with wide eyes.

"Will you marry me, Annabeth?" I asked hopefully, and a tear slid down Annabeth's cheek as she smiled.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth hugged me tightly, and she kissed my cheek, "Of course!"

I spun her around and kissed her neck, making her smile as she slid the ring on her finger.

"I love you so much," Annabeth kissed me, taking a breath to giggle like a giddy school girl, before leaning back in.

"I love you, too, Annie."

"Don't call me Annie, Perry."

"Don't call me Perry."

Annabeth kissed me again, and I don't think I had ever felt so happy.

_She said yes!_

I felt like I was four years old again, feeling the giddy anticipation from my mother giving into my begging for an ice cream cone.

I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach, and my knees were weak, making me feel like I was about to fall down. I couldn't stop smiling, and I suddenly didn't want to be more than a foot away from Annabeth at all times.

But then I remembered something.

"Wait," I pulled away, "You said we needed to talk."

"We can talk about that later," Annabeth tried, and I kept staring, suddenly noticing how nervous she was about that.

What was wrong with her?

"What is it?"

"It's just not the right time, Percy."

"Annabeth, you're worrying me. Tell me."

Annabeth hesitated, taking a deep breath.

"Um, I've been crazy lately. Well, I'm _always_ crazy. But I've been _particularly_ crazy. And I've been blaming it on the move and everything that is going on, but… but…" Annabeth met my eyes, "I'm going to just tell you because, if I don't tell you now, I'll never tell you and I can't do that and-"

"Annabeth, what is?" my fear was reaching an all-time high.

"I found out this morning that I'm pregnant."

My jaw dropped.

_P-Pregnant?_

T-That couldn't be!

Annabeth had been sure that this wouldn't happen, annoyingly so.

We were careful, We wanted to do this right, and we also didn't want Athena to murder me.

Well, there was this one time that we didn't-

Oh.

My.

Gods.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Annabeth asked nervously, on the verge of tears, "W-What do you think?"

I felt my heart break as I looked at her.

"I think Sophie."

"What?"

"Or Luke, if it is a boy."

Annabeth's eyes widened in understanding, and a stray tear fell down her cheek.

"I love you, Percy. I love you, I love you!" Annabeth kissed me, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her.

_**Annabeth,**_

When I woke up, I couldn't move.

_The baby must want to sleep_, I told myself, _Do what the baby wants._

I had to admit that I loved that part.

Now I could do everything I want-and_ eat_ everything I want.

And I could say that it was the baby's idea.

Maybe I didn't like waking up in the middle night and desperately needing- not _wanting_ but _needing_- white chocolate chip cookies with whip cream. And I also didn't like the mood swings (luckily, the morning sickness hadn't started yet).

But I did like being able to blame it on the baby.

I was so tired that I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move.

So I just went back to sleep, or I tried.

But I suddenly couldn't, and I blinked my eyes open to look at the clock, trying to remember if I had to work or not.

I did, and I also had to get up.

I stirred, and I saw what was holding me down.

Percy had his arms wrapped around me, pulling me up to him, and he had his hand protectively over my stomach.

It had swelled, not a lot, but I noticed.

He didn't notice, or maybe he did now.

But he was protecting my stomach as if it was as big as a basketball.

"Percy," I rested my hand on his, and he slowly blinked his eyes open.

"What time is it?"

"Early. Now get up. You have class."

"Hmm," Percy kissed my neck and tried to go back to sleep.

"No, no, up. Get up," I forced myself to sit up and click on the lamp, making him put a pillow over his face.

"I can pretend I'm sick."

I rolled my eyes as I pulled on a sweater, and I made a mental praise of myself of getting rid of my stuff since it wouldn't fit in a few months.

"Thanks for the practice, Seaweed Brain. Noah is too good of a kid to teach me what it is like to raise a difficult child," I crossed my arms, and motioned for him to stand up.

"You're getting too into this, Annabeth."

"I can be a harpy," that was what we all said instead of what the humans found as a curse word, "I'm pregnant, and you got me that way."

"Takes two."

"Takes one condom."

"You win," Percy sat up in bed, and I smiled to him.

"For your own good, you know that, right?" I tried not to seem completely evil.

"See? You're already a mom," Percy kissed the top of my head, cracking one of his legendary smiles, and I let out a laugh as I went to start coffee.

Mornings went by a routine in this house.

A routine that had been broken by the lack of a five year old named Noah and a new ring on my finger.

Everything about this morning was off.

Percy wanted to sleep. There was no Spongebob or other kid show playing in the background. And I was _cooking_.

When Percy saw me trying to make eggs, he motioned that I was free and that he would just make toast and juice for breakfast. And I took a long shower, braided my hair, and I stared at my stomach for what felt like forever before finally getting ready for work.

I found myself staring at the engagement ring, and I finally got a good look at it.

When he proposed, I was so excited that I just accepted and focused on him.

And now I found my breath knocked out of my chest.

"Seaweed Brain did good," my friends would have said.

But I cared more about the proposal than the ring.

It was… _amazing_.

Perfect.

Flawless.

However else you can choose to describe it.

_I just loved it,_ I smiled to myself as I pulled on my heels and walked into the kitchen, where Percy was looking at his cell phone.

"Good morning, Annie."

"You're back to your _Early-Bird_ self, eh?" I asked as I reached for a piece of toast, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and kiss the side of my head.

"Momentarily lapse, I promise," Percy smirked.

I reached for a cup of coffee, and Percy quickly snatched it away.

"No coffee," Percy walked back to the plate of toast.

"Yes coffee," I reached for it back, but he shook his head.

"No caffeine. It's bad for the baby."

"And having a mental break down from no caffeine is bad for the baby, too," I crossed my arms and stared at him.

"A risk I will just have to take."

I stuck my tongue out, and he poured a glass of orange juice for me as he took a gulp of my coffee, earning me to narrow my eyes at him.

"Think about the baby," Percy wrapped his arms around me and put his head on my shoulder, doing that cutesy voice old women do when they pinch their grandchildren's cheek.

"Think about me. I'm going to lose my mind without coffee."

"How about this? I let you have coffee in nine months, I promise," he kissed my neck, and I cracked a smile, though I was still mad at him.

Percy kissed my cheek, and I made my grudge obvious as I took a sip of my orange juice.

"So, how do you want to tell Noah?" Percy asked as I sat down on the bar stool, and I shrugged.

"I was thinking about bringing home the baby from the hospital and waiting until he realizes it."

"Funny."

I smiled to myself as I bit into my toast.

"So, how far along are you?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I called my sister, Ansley, yesterday. She made me an appointment for tomorrow. She actually told me not to tell you that I was pregnant because I may not be… but I am. I can just tell."

I really could.

I mean, I hadn't known for a while. A month, if we had conceived this baby when I thought we did.

But, once I had thought about it, it made sense. And, while my logical side I was just imagining it, I could _feel_ the baby.

"What does it feel like?" Percy looked at me, and I let out a small laugh.

"You act like this is your first baby, Percy."

"Well, I wasn't there for JoJo when she was pregnant. She didn't want me to be. She didn't even want to tell me., and her mother made her."

"I didn't know that."

"That's why I love her parents so much. If it wasn't for them, Noah would be living in some urban, dangerous-to-children apartment with one of JoJo's stupid boyfriends. Or he might be with them in the country if they found out what their daughter was really like," Percy shrugged, "I mean, I hate what I did to you. But…"

Percy trailed off, and I nodded.

I forgave him.

While I still wished Percy had told me and not just left, I adored Noah, and, though it was hard sometimes (and by _sometimes_, I mean _bath time_), I loved this life that we had together.

"But I did it right this time," Percy kissed the top of my head, and I hesitated.

"Well…"

"Okay, I _almost_ did it right," Percy shrugged.

I smiled and nodded.

"Just missed. So close."

"I'm not going to get another chance, huh?"

"I think this baby'll be it," I tapped on my stomach, and he smirked.

"I love you, Annie," he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to kiss me.

"You have to go?"

"Work calls. The kids will want to know if you said yes or not."

"You told them?"

"They all gave suggestions on how to propose. It was funny, to tell you the truth."

"Well, I see you after work. Love you, too."

"Tell me about how Rachel reacts when you tell her about the ring," Percy smirked with a kiss, and I shook my head as I began to think about what my best friend would say when she saw the engagement ring on my finger.

But that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as when she found out about Percy's ban on coffee…

"Will do. She might kill you about no-coffee though."

_**I couldn't really describe the ring, but I put the link on my profile.**_

_**I know it wasn't as good as it probably **_**should**_** have been.**_

_**But what the heck?**_

_**And are you guys ready for the big surprise?**_

_**Anyone remember my hint?**_

_**Well, you'll see soon!**_

_**Love you, I have a bad cold and am still shocked by all of the secrets my family has been keeping from each other. The kind of secrets that come out in a big blow-up in the middle of your cousin's living room and suddenly makes everything make sense, but not in a good way.**_

_**Well, anyway, I just also wanted to give my quick warning that I am in **_**"Ending-a-Story"**_** freak out mode. I am basically at the final chapter of Once An Alpha. And I'm proud, I guess. In this story, I showed a girl who only cared about herself realize that mistakes in the past didn't have to keep her from happiness. And all of that other teen sappiness.**_

_**AND OH MY GOD! I have a thousand reviews! Thank you! Thank you, I love you guys so much!**_

_**:-{D HAWTgeek :-{D**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Annabeth,**_

"Hey, Annie."

I smiled to my sister, Ansley.

She was five years older than me, and we had always butted heads since I had been head of our cabin when she was older at Camp. But, a few years ago, we got closer when I moved to LA, where she had set up a practice.

If anything, Ansley's six year old daughter, Penelope, was what brought us together.

Penelope loved her Aunt Annabeth, and she had been the first to have a bad feeling about Henry. And I wished that I had listened to her instead of rolling my eyes and saying, "Kids? Funny, huh?"

Ansley's move to New York had been the talk of both coasts.

My sister went out to California for school, and she met a film major, Lewis. They dated, and they got pregnant with Penelope. They got married by the beach in a beauty ceremony, and they welcomed their little daughter into the world. They made the permanent move to LA when he got into directing, and Ansely became the woman to delivered every super-star's baby.

When problems entered the marriage, Ansley thought it was normal. After all, every couple had problems, and Ansley thought she could fix hers. One weekend, she came home early from a weekend with her dad and Penelope to surprise Lewis with a second honeymoon.

What she found was a twenty-three year old starlet wanting to sleep her way to the top.

Divorce papers were filed, and two plane tickets were bought for a new life in New York.

When I saw those little plus signs on the test, Ansley had been my first call.

Even if she wasn't my sister, I would have trusted her.

She was one of the best in the world after all.

"I had to sneak this away from my assistant. She's pregnant with twins," Ansley held up a poptart, and I smiled my thanks.

I had to skip breakfast this morning because I was too tired to eat (Thank you, Percy), and I had a choice to be late to my first doctor's appointment or grab some food.

I chose the first.

I now regretted it.

"Gods, I can't get enough of these things," I bit into the blueberry poptart, and Ansley smiled as she sat down in her chair, ready to get started on our appointment.

"When I was pregnant with Penelope, I always wanted Sushi. I'm surprise Pen didn't come out Japanese."

I rolled my eyes.

When my sister was working, she had basically developed a script.

Act like she was doing special stuff for her patient. Talk about her daughter. And act like we were talking about this over coffee.

My sister meant it, probably. I mean, she _was_ my sister. But I missed how she usually was.

"So, you are pregnant, Annabeth," my sister smiled, leaning back into her chair, and I smiled.

_I knew you were real, Cutie. _I mentally told the baby, _How about we go sneak some coffee? I know you're tired, too._

I was holding my stomach, silently willing the baby to move around or at least give me support that coffee wouldn't hurt it at all but that she was craving it.

Yes, I thought it was a girl.

Percy tried to remind me that he thought that Noah would be a Noel and not to get to set into baby girl mode. But he wasn't the one sharing a body with the baby. We were close (literally), and I could sense that that little thing growing inside of me was a little girl.

Feeling in a good mood, I was about to share how I felt about the baby's gender, but then I noticed how grim Ansley's face was.

"What? Is-is there something wrong?" I protectively put my hand on my stomach.

"The baby is fine from what I can tell. Well, that is kind of the problem."

I starred at Ansley.

"It's a problem that my baby is alright?"

"No, I know that the baby is fine. No signs of problems or anything. I _know _that. It's what I _don't_ know that's bothering me."

"What do you mean, Ansley? You're scaring me."

"Do you remember how long it was before I knew about Penelope?"

"Yeah, it was five months. You had to rush to plan the wedding," my arms crossed, trying not to think about my wedding.

Percy and I wanted to wait to know how far along I was before setting a date, and I was scared to do anything without knowing when it would be.

"That got me thinking. I started studying, and I learned about certain complications that come with being a pregnant daughter of Athena."

"Complications?" fear surged through me again.

"It's because of the weird way we were born. Our pregnancies are different. There is no typical Athenian pregnancy."

"There's normal pregnancy anyway, Ansley."

"Well, there are majorities. And the majority of Athenian pregnancy is hard to find. They don't have many symptoms, and their weight gain doesn't start for a while. They don't find out until their second or third trimester in most cases. Some think it was a tactic to hide the baby from the monsters, but the hormones don't show the baby on tests," Ansley explained.

I was getting flustered.

What on earth could she be talking about?

"There are normal pregnancies. Weight gain. They find out at the normal town. All that. It's just rare."

"Then I'm like them. I-I'm gaining weight. I got a plus sign. Y-You just said I'm pregnant," I was getting sick from all of this.

What was Ansley telling me?

"I don't know that."

"It can't be in its second trimester. That would be over three months! I've only been with Percy for one."

Ansley stared at me, waiting for me to connect the dots.

Oh.

My.

Gods.

I felt myself get light-headed, and I felt like I was going to puke.

It-it couldn't be.

This was Percy's baby.

It was.

He picked out names. Percy was reading pregnancy books and even talking with Grover about how he couldn't wait to be a dad again. We told his mom. We were planning our wedding soon. Rachel bought a fish-shaped toy box to remind the baby of its grandfather.

My Seaweed Brain got me knocked up, not… not…

I felt like I was going to cry.

"This-this baby can't be," I put my hand over my stomach, "_Henry's_."

"It's a possibility, Annabeth."

I kept crying.

"You can tell that I'm pregnant! S-SO you can tell how far along I am? I'll wait, hours if I have to. Just tell me."

I felt like I was going crazy.

I _was_ going crazy.

"There is only one person who can tell, and she's in Tokyo. I have sent your results, but it will take two or three weeks. Maybe even longer."

"I could fly there and get tested faster, Ansley."

"There is a waiting list for this woman, Annabeth. You have better luck from the blood tests coming from me."

"B-But I'm her sister. She could do something for me. You did."

"Because I _know you_ as my sister. You're my daughter's _Aunt Annabeth_. She'll just know you as someone with the same mom."

"Ansley, this baby can't be _Henry's._ Percy's picking out names. He's excited. We told his mom," I sobbed into my sweater.

"I will make sure that, the minute I get the results, even if it is at two in the morning, I will call you, Annabeth."

"Thanks," my voice was small as I wiped my tears away.

"I am so sorry, Annabeth," my sister squeezed my hand, "Just calm yourself. This isn't good for the baby."

"Bye, Ansley," I pulled my bag on my shoulder, and Ansley stood.

"Your prenatal vitamins are waiting with the receptionist. We will make an appointment in a month," Ansley tried to act like this was a usual appointment, but even she seemed sad.

"Um, thanks. I'll… yeah, I'll see you later, Ansley," I pulled my bag up higher and nodded a goodbye.

_**Percy,**_

I kissed the top of my son's head as I sat beside him on the couch, where he was drinking his green Gatorade (his all-time favorite) and watching _Fanboy and Chum Chum_.

He was clean despite how he usually came home covered in dirt and sweat, and his cleats had already been cleaned. Instead how he usually would have picked up Oreos and soda, he was snacking on an apple and Gatorade.

So I knew Annabeth was involved.

I could swear that she had Charmspeak.

She could even make him eat _carrots_.

I had been trying for the last five years to get him to eat carrots. He wouldn't even eat them when he was an infant and I was feeding him with a spoon.

But Annabeth smiled and says, "What are you talking about, Noah? Carrots are _delicious_."

Suddenly, the war over carrots was over.

"What's up, Shorty?"

"Annabeth made me take a bath. At _four_, Daddy. _Four_."

"Well, you were dirty."

"So?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Where is she?"

"Annabeth?"

I nodded.

"She dried me off and told me that she was going to lay down. She started talking about how you wouldn't let her have coffee and about how, if she didn't extremely love you, she probably would have lost her mind from being tired and killed you horribly," Noah shrugged.

He had been hearing that for a while, I guess. So had I…

It was reaching a point where I was about to break down and give her the stupid coffee.

"Lay down?"

Yes, I had heard it so many times that _this_ was the part that stuck out.

Shows something, huh?

"Yeah, she didn't seem to feel good all day," Noah nodded as he took a big bite out of his Granny Smith apple.

I kissed the top of his head again and ruffled his head as I got up, and Noah kept watching the TV.

I knocked at the door.

"Yes?" the voice was small, almost inaudible unless you were really listening for it.

I pushed the door open and closed it behind me, staring at the blonde in the bed.

She had pulled down her blanket to peak at who was at the door.

Her long blonde hair was all over the pillow, and it looked she was still wearing the black turtle neck sweater that she had worn this morning, complaining that we kept the place like an igloo. But what took center stage were her eyes.

Her grey eyes were red from crying.

"What's up, Blondie?" I asked as I sat at the end of the bed, and Annabeth pulled herself up.

"Noah didn't tell you? I'm tired," Annabeth wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and hugged her knees.

"He mainly complained that you made him take a bath."

"He and Sam basically just and rolled around in the mud. It was either he stayed outside or he took a bath."

"I guessed as much," I smirked, "Now why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying," Annabeth's voice was small as she wiped at her eyes again, knowing that she couldn't lie about it anymore.

"Your eyes say something else."

Annabeth hesitated.

"Today was my first doctor appointment."

Fear hit me full force.

Something was wrong with the baby.

Every bad possibility hit me hard.

Could it end up blind? Deaf? Both?

Was it not growing properly?

Would the baby be disfigured?

Was there even a baby anymore?

I felt like I was going to throw up, and I wanted to crawl into bed and hide under the blankets, too.

"Well, Daughters of Athena have weird pregnancies apparently. Because of how we were born or something? I don't know _why_, but we do," Annabeth wiped at her eyes again, "And Ansley has known this for years! And just freaking told me."

She collapsed to lay down on the bed again, frustrated.

"Annabeth, what happened?" my fear didn't leave any room for me to be nice when I knew she was freaking out.

"Most of them don't find out about their babies until they're in their second or third trimester. They're hormones hide the baby, and they don't show up on tests. They don't start gaining weight until later. And they're symptoms just show up _later_. Some of them have normal pregnancies, but it is rare."

"Okay?" I didn't understand what the problem was, "So there is a problem with being rare? Does Ansley not know how to take care of you or something? Does that mean problems for the baby?"

"Percy, it's _rare_."

"So?" I stared at her, and Annabeth kept looking at me like I was a complete Seaweed Brain.

Which I was apparently.

What was the problem?

So what if it was rare?

She knew that she was pregnant and her symptoms were on schedule-

Or were they?

_Was she telling me that…_

I swallowed hard.

"There is someone in Tokyo who is going to find out how far along I am. But there is a waiting list. It'll be two weeks before we know if I am one of the rare ones or not. Until then, we're just supposed to wait here and go on with our lives."

Annabeth began to cry again.

"S-So, y-y-you think that th-the…the…" my throat ran dry.

"I think the baby is yours," Annabeth leaned up to look at me, "But it's-it's possible that…"

"Henry," the word sounded forced.

It was.

Henry.

I had been jealous of Henry more than I would like to admit.

I was jealous that he proposed to her and she said yes while I was stuck regretting how I messed up with her. I was jealous that he would spend the rest of his life with her instead of me. I was jealous that she was happy with him while she hated me.

My jealousy dimmed down when we got together, but it was still there.

And now it had tripled to whatever it once had been.

Now my baby was his.

"Henry," Annabeth nodded, and she sobbed into a comforter.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her and pulled her close, making her cry even harder. But I knew she needed it.

Hades, _I _needed it.

"I love you so much," I squeezed her, and Annabeth tears lessened.

"I love you, too," her voice was rickety from all of the crying.

"And I love the baby."

"Even if it isn't…" Annabeth couldn't finish the sentence, so she started over, "I-I want you to be the dad, even if Henry is the father. I want you to be the dad."

"You're going to be a wonderful mother, Annabeth. You're already a good mother, to Noah. This baby is so lucky," I looked down to her, and she smiled her thanks, kissing me gently.

"I owe Noah after making him take a bath. Wanna get some Chinese? Sweet and sour chicken?" she smiled, trying to forget what we were upset about.

If she could do it, so could I.

Or we could both pretend.

"And Birthday Cake ice cream?"

"With chocolate whip cream?"

"Looks like I've got a long trip."

"Hey, it's for Noah!" Annabeth smiled.

"Sure it is," I rolled my eyes as I stood, "Anything else you want while I'm out?"

"Cookie dough sounds _wonderful._ Maybe some brownie mix to make with Noah. You know, if you're at the store."

I smirked, kissing her one more time.

"We'll be okay," I whispered, and Annabeth nodded.

"Of course we will be," Annabeth ran a hand through my hair, "After everything we have been through, we'll make it. After all, we are Aphrodite's favorite soap opera."

I smiled and nodded.

"I'll go ahead and order the food for you to pick out. Can you write down what you want and what Noah wants? I'm going to change," Annabeth asked as she slid out of her sweater and threw it into the hamper.

"Alright, and I'll start a list with Noah for groceries. You can help finish it out."

"Thanks…" Annabeth called out as she disappeared into the closet, and I started towards the living room to make both lists.

But I couldn't stop thinking about what Annabeth had just told me.

The-The baby may not be mine…

I mean, I knew I would love it, but...

But this was my little baby, and all of a sudden, I find out that it might not be.

I felt like I was going to throw up.

W-What if it really wasn't mine?

What if it was Henry's?

What if that little girl or little boy in there would call _Henry _"DaDa" instead of me?

I tried to remind myself that I had done this to her.

Annabeth was raising my son and loved him as his own.

I could love her son or daughter, as Annabeth was sure it was, like it was my baby.

But I just wanted… I wanted it to be mine.

I couldn't wait two weeks to find out.

But I had to.

If I had known what came next, I never would have complained about only having to wait two weeks.

That was nothing pared to what happened after that…

_**Big Surprise revealed!**_

_**Almost…**_

_**Anyway, do not kill me. Please, I really don't like the idea of fangirls neaking into my house while I'm asleep from all of that Nyquil I have to take (another thing I got from my big family thing was StrepThroat) and killing me from doing this to Percabeth. And, one more thing to the fangirls who are sharpening their pitchforks now, if you kill me, I can't post another chapter. Just remember that.**_

**;-{D HAWTgeek ;-{D**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Annabeth,**_

"Annabeth?"

I broke out of my fog to look to the five year old beside me.

I had been trying to distract myself after my appointment with Ansley, and I had been doing pretty well.

After the feast with every secret or not-so-secret pleasure food, we watched Indiana Jones together until Noah fell asleep on Percy's shoulder. While Percy was putting him in bed, I hurried to sleep, not wanting to talk.

When we woke up the next morning, I woke up to find that his arms were wrapped tightly around me. We both stayed like that for a while, not talking and silently reminding each other that everything would be alright no matter what happened. He made a big breakfast, where begrudgingly drank my orange juice. And he took Noah to school. I worked hard, and I went to Noah's soccer game.

Today went almost the same.

I woke up early and helped Percy cook. I went to work. I didn't answer my calls from Rachel, not ready to talk about it yet. Then I picked up Noah, Kate, and Sam from school and took them to the pizza arcade for the afternoon.

Dropping off Sam and Kate had been worse than I had realized it would be.

Malcolm didn't ask how I was or what was wrong.

He just stared.

Malcolm was not the kind of brother who respected my space. He could tell when something was wrong, and he usually bugged me until he figured out.

Him just standing there reminded me just how serious this was.

"What, Noah?" I looked down forcing myself to smile.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I lied, "Why do you ask?"

"You and Daddy have just been acting weird," Noah told me as he looked back to his ice cream cone.

Okay, so I had been trying to bribe him into not noticing.

But I had known he wouldn't go along with it forever.

I just thought I would have longer.

Like until I got the test results.

"We have, huh?" I smiled down at him, trying to act like everything was fine.

I just wasn't sure it was.

I wanted everything to be.

But I had this horrible fear of child now.

I knew that Percy meant it when he said that he would be there for the baby, whether it shared his DNA or not. And I knew that he couldn't exactly be mad at me either.

He had a child with another woman, and he was actually _with_ me at the time.

If this baby was Henry's, I would have conceived it just before I left. I wasn't even thinking about Percy at the time, or I told myself I wasn't. I was trying on my wedding dress to see if it still fit and picking out which shade of white for the floral arrangements.

But I felt guilty for some weird reason.

As if we were having this problem because I had cheated on Percy or something.

Deep down, I knew that we would be alright.

Percy would love the baby when it was born, and the baby would love him. While I would have to tell my stupid ex, I knew I would get custody of our child with him getting the baby every summer or something. I would marry Percy, and everything would be alright…

But there was still that horrible fear in the back of my mind.

Maybe we couldn't handle it.

Maybe we couldn't make it to the day that the baby was born, when he would completely fall in love with her or him. Maybe this would be too much for us, and I would pack my bags again to go to the other coast. Maybe, without realizing it, this was breaking us apart.

And how we didn't talk about it was making those fears even worse.

"Are you two going to break up?"

I stared into Noah's nervous crystal blue eyes.

"No, no," I shook my head, feeling guilty, "Come on. Let's sit down for a second."

We both walked away from the front door, where I had been searching for my keys, and we sat down on the bench looking at the fire pit and the peaceful little road.

I wrapped my arm around Noah and kissed the top of his head.

"I'll admit that things are weird for us," I hesitated, "There's something going on that we're not happy about."

I felt like puking, but I couldn't blame it on being pregnant this time.

"But look at this," I held up the hand with the engagement ring, "Your dad and I are completely and hopelessly in love with each other. And we are going to get married, and you might even have a sibling pretty soon. And, just because there's something going on, that doesn't mean that your dad and I are going to break up."

"I love you, Annabeth," Noah wrapped his arms around me, and I kissed his cheek.

"I love you, too, Shorty."

_We have to talk about it,_ I told myself, _Keeping quiet isn't helping anyone…_

"Come on. You have homework."

Noah let out a moan, and I smiled to myself as I went back to picking my keys out of my bag.

I barely noticed when I saw one of the airport-cabs pull to the house, knowing that it was probably Christine's son from Miami or one of the business men husbands who lived around here.

It was a typical sight around here, and I knew that I would probably become one of those regulars when this all got sorted out now that the London office was begging for me to come for a visit for some client. I never paid much attention to it, and I paid even less attention when I saw someone get out of the cab with a small suitcase.

One of the business husbands for sure.

Noah was even more used to it, and he was getting out his iPod to watch one of those kid shows I couldn't stand as I got up from the bench.

"Annabeth?"

I looked down to Noah as I jammed the key into the door.

"What, Baby?"

"Why is that man staring at you?"

I looked to who he was looking at.

He was handsome man about thirty or so.

His sandy blonde curls were perfectly cropped and maybe even dyed to be that perfect color. His eyes were chestnut brown and sweet like chocolate. His designer suit was crisp and new, and his shoes were without a scuff. On his shoulder, he had a small duffle. And his eyes were trained on me.

I dropped my bag in shock.

_Oh._

_My._

_Gods._

"Hey, Annabeth."

His voice was so smooth, so intoxicating.

But the high that I had once gotten was gone and replaced by the horrible handover.

This time, I didn't hear the love in his voice as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the side of my head.

I heard the anger.

"Henry."

I was frozen to this spot, like I was an automaton and Athena had just turned me off.

I was definitely going to puke now.

Finally being able to move, I put my hand over my stomach as if to calm it, and Henry's eyes followed my hand.

_Oh._

_My._

_Gods._

He….

He knew.

"God, I know you're pissed at me, but what the Hades?"

Only he didn't say Hades.

My jaw dropped, and I put my hands over Noah's ears.

"Five year old here, you know."

"I don't give a fudge."

Not fudge, too.

I took my hands off Noah's ear and opened the door for him, glaring at Henry.

"I'll be right in, okay?"

Noah kept staring at Henry, but he went on in anyway.

I waited until I had safely closed the door and knew that he was in his room before even looking back to Henry.

"What is your problem?" I shoved Henry, and he stared at me, "He's five, you idiot!"

"What do you want me to do? I find out that you might be pregnant with my baby from your mother! God, Annabeth! I know we broke up, but what is wrong with you?"

"Me! I didn't tell you because I didn't know!"

"But there is a chance, Annabeth. And don't you think I deserve to know that there is a chance."

"If I _knew_ it was your baby, I would have told you. But I _don't_ know."

"What if it is then, alright? What if my baby is being around that _guy_ while you're playing mom to that kid? Who is that kid, by the way?"

"That _guy_ is my fiancé, thank you very much," I held up my hand with the ring, giving him a bad hand gesture, "_And that kid_ is Noah, his son."

"Four months since our break-up and already engaged? Why don't you go scream to the press that you got knocked up!"

"You know I don't give a _fudge_ what the press says," so maybe I didn't say fudge either, "Is that what this is about? The press? Am I threatening your little career?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about!"

"No, I don't. Why don't you explain?" he crossed his arms.

"Your career. You used our engagement to launch your career. And you were shocked that a break-up didn't help you along, so you've been trying to date every starlet in LA. So, either you're trying to get back with me for the cameras or covering your tracks so that it doesn't come out that I am pregnant with your child and still want to marry someone else. Which one is it?"

"Is it at all possible that maybe I am thinking about _my child_?"

"You didn't deny it, Henry," I crossed my arms.

He rolled his eyes but still didn't deny it.

Maybe he was thinking about his kid.

_Maybe_…

But it made me want to cry either way, which wasn't hard to do with the mood swings though.

Henry opened his mouth to say something else, but then we heard someone walking here from the parking lot.

I prayed it was Christine so that I could run into her arms and get cookies.

I felt a new relief consume me, though I still wished it was Christine with the plate of cookies.

Percy raised his eyebrows at Henry, and Henry stared at him.

"Who is he?" Henry pointed to Percy.

"Who are you?"

"You know this guy?"

"You know him?"

"This is Percy," I narrowed my eyes as Henry, and he widened his eyes as he looked back to Percy.

Percy kept staring.

"And this is _Henry."_

_**Percy,**_

"I'm not leaving."

"Why not?"

"I am not leaving until I know if that baby is mine or… _its_!" Henry pointed towards me, and I rolled my eyes.

"You're acting like you're four, Henry."

"I don't care."

Annabeth got off the couch and raised her hands in surrender, grabbing a cookie from the kitchen and leaving me alone with _him._

"She won't find out for another week or so, Genius."

"Says the _Seaweed Brain_."

"What? Do you think you being here with somehow make the results come faster?"

Henry turned to look at me and narrowed his eyes.

"I. Don't-"

"Have an IQ more than 2?"

"_Care,_ Donkey."

So maybe not _Donkey_, but I chose to hear it as that since my five year old son was in the next room.

"Listen, I will call you when I find out. I have to get ready for dinner," Annabeth rubbed her temples and stared at Henry.

"What are you doing, Annabeth? You're trying to be this… this…" Henry tried to find the right words, "_Helen Homemaker_. You don't cook. You don't tell little kids that its time for bed. It's just not who you are. Stop trying to become that for…_him_."

"How do you know I don't cook?"

She actually doesn't.

By get ready for dinner, she usually meant making sure that Noah had finished his homework and didn't need a quick bath.

But I decided not to tell him that.

"How do you know that I don't tell kids that they need to go to bed? I mean, pretty soon I'll have to anyway, Henry, and, if I'm unlucky, you will, too."

"Yeah because I would be such a _horrible _father! Coming here to be here if this is my child! I mean, this may not even be, but I'm here none the less."

"You think this is being a good father?" Annabeth laughed, "No, this is being an annoying ex. If anything, you're hurting this baby. If I wasn't stressed enough, I have _you_ popping up out of nowhere. By the way, how did you even find me? And why would you think this was okay?"

"That is my baby."

"Could be," Annabeth cut in.

"Well, it's more likely that the baby is mine than _his_," Henry pointed to me like I was a disease.

"_He_ has a name," I offered, but Henry was defiantly ignoring me. And Annabeth was too angry to notice.

"By the way, what if I don't want my child around him?"

"What if I don't want my child around you?"

"What have I done to you?"

"This!" Annabeth pointed an accusing finger at him, "We were fine. We _agreed_ to break-up. I came here, and I was happy. I was engaged, and I was having a baby. Then _you_ showed up!"

"Are you blaming me because you're fighting?"

"What?"

"That's why you're really mad. Because you two are fighting, and I'm just someone you can point the blame on," Henry sneered.

"No, you're just jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Because I'm happy with this little family and you're alone in apartment with dumb starlet to dumb starlet."

"No, you're jealous that I'm with those starlets, and, by the way, she has a name, too."

"Do you even know it?"

"Blaire, thank you very much."

"_Claire_," I rolled my eyes "All of my students are talking about how you broke up. At a romantic spot at the beach? Seriously?"

Henry tried to pretend that he had been thinking about a girl that he had just gone on a date with or something, but neither of us bought it.

"Well, you know what, it doesn't matter who it was. The entire point is that you're jealous."

"I'm not the one who went half-way around the world, Henry."

Henry opened his mouth to say something, but Annabeth cut him off.

"I will call you when I find out. For now, you are just hurting the baby by giving me unnecessary stress," Annabeth told him calmly, trying not to kill the man who could be the father of her child.

But Henry didn't seem to take the hint.

"Get out, Henry," Annabeth pointed towards the door, and he watched the two of us.

"I'll be back," he warned us both before walking out of the door and leaving us alone together.

Annabeth took a deep breath, on the brink of a mental break-down.

It had been building.

For both of us.

I knew it was better that we got it all out, but I wasn't sure how.

Now I knew how and that we would do it, whether we liked it or not.

And his name was Henry Alexander.

I didn't take my time to get up from the couch, and I hurried over to where Annabeth was leaning on the counter and holding her head in her hands.

"It's okay, Annabeth," I told her gently as I began to massage her neck, and Annabeth seemed to calm at my touch. But she was a long way from calm.

"Is it wrong that I'm praying he gets hit by a bus?"

I let out a weak laugh with Annabeth.

"What's wrong?"

Annabeth hesitated.

I knew she must have hated this.

Seeming so week.

_Being_ so weak.

Her pregnancy made her on edge enough, but this was about to push her over. And I was scared for her.

"I'm scared, Percy, I'm so scared."

"About the baby?" I kept massaging her neck, and Annabeth nodded.

"Sort of…" Annabeth took a long breath out, "I don't know how long the baby has been around, and I'm scared of what I've been doing that would have hurt the baby. What if it has problems? W-What if the baby can't take this all? W-what if…?"

Annabeth finished that by crying, and I wrapped my arms around her waist to bring her close.

"That isn't going to happen, Annabeth."

"We don't know that, Percy. We don't know that for sure. I was hanging on before, alright? It hurt to think that the baby might not be yours, but I was pushing past it. I-I don't know if I can be strong now, Perce. I just don't know…" Annabeth let out a weak smile, "And you know me, Perce, I can't stand not knowing something."

"How about we leave for two weeks? Just pick Noah out of school and used all of our sick days to go to the beach. Relax for a little bit."

Annabeth thought it over.

She wanted to say yes, I knew she did.

But her grey eyes gave me my answer before she even opened her mouth.

"We can't, Percy," her words were hesitant, unwanted, and painful, "It won't change anything. Just new scenery."

"This place is hurting our baby, Annabeth."

"What if it's not our baby, Percy? Can you really handle that? Theoretically, we should be fine. You have a child with another woman, and I would have a child with another man. I'm there for your son, and we don't have the same DNA. It would be like that for this baby. But, in honesty, can we handle that?"

Annabeth turned to look at me, twisting around in my embrace so that we were looking at each other.

"Percy, we're quiet. I wish we were loud, screaming about this. Not pretending it isn't happening."

"I know it's happening, Annabeth."

I knew too well that this was happening.

"Is he right?"

"Is who right?"

"Henry. All of those things he said. Was he right?"

"Annabeth, he's not. He's just trying to split us up," I desperately searched her eyes to see if it was getting to her.

"I know he is. He's a selfish little jerk. But I-I'm just wondering if he had a point, Percy? Is it even possible?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"I'm going to grab some pizza tonight. And lots of ice cream."

"I love you," I kissed the top of her head, and she smiled.

"I love you, too. I know I'm not really showing it like I should be, but I just need to figure this out. To figure out our future. Whether I'll be putting my kid on a plane for LA every summer or if I'll be packing it up for Camp. And I want to kill Henry. And I want to kill my mom. And Ansley keeps calling, and I get excited that she may have gotten the results back already but she's only calling to remind me to stay calm. And… and…." Annabeth took a deep breath, and I wrapped my arms tighter around her.

Was she really freaking out this much?

I suddenly felt guilty for thinking about myself and not her all of this time.

"It has nothing to do with you, Percy. But you just happen to be the person around who gets all of the punishment," Annabeth smiled apologetically, and I shrugged.

"Hey, I'm the Seaweed Brain. It's in my job description."

"How about we don't talk about it tonight?" Annabeth ran her hand through my hair, "Order pizza. Watch movies with Noah. Tease him about how much time he spends with Kate."

I smiled and nodded.

"Hey, did I tell you what Alyssa told me when I picked Noah up?"

"What?"

"Noah has a crush."

"Noah? On who?"

"Well, the little girl, Tabitha, has a big crush on him. And Alyssa is pretty sure that he likes her, too."

"Darn, this Tabitha girl has just ruined the life plan for Noah to marry Kate. Oh, how will we tell Malcolm?"

Annabeth smiled.

_**Alright, I decided to add the last bit because I wanted to show that they still love each other even if they are upset about everything that is going on.**_

_**So Henry is here and trying to cause trouble…**_

_**Do you think it will work? And who is the baby's father?**_

_**Keep reading **_**You've Got Mail**_** to find out!**_

_**Oh, and another shout out to my YouTube account. I started a new series with Sims 3 Supernatural, Moonlight Falls, about Halley. After her parents died in a fire, Halley was left to live with her Aunt Lucinda and cousin Audrey in Moonlight Falls. But things are even weirder when the entire town seems to have a secret and know something about her…. The first episode just got published last night, and I know it won't do well because I suck at the tags on YouTube for viewers. But, I love doing it, and, if you want to check it out, go to my YouTube page, HAWTgeek12345.**_

_**;-D HAWTGEEK ;-D **_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Annabeth,**_

Percy and Henry kept fighting, their voices probably being heard in Olympus.

Noah was with his grandmother for the day while she was back in town. Three years ago, she moved out to the suburbs with Paul when he got a great job. While it was only an hour away, it had been hard for the two of them since they had always been together.

Everything was fine today.

Pretty good, actually.

I slept in a little bit, and Percy took Noah to school. I took a long shower, and I had deliciously greasy fast food for breakfast. Work was easier today, and I got out early. So, I had lunch with Rachel and even got into Mommy-Mode by going to Babys-R-Us with Rachel.

When I got home, things were still great.

Until the doorbell rang.

Henry kept to his word, and he was going to stick around until we got the stupid test results back.

Percy told him to leave, still thinking about our conversation about how worried I was about the stress levels. Henry refused. Percy kept trying, and they seemed to forget that the fighting didn't make me any better.

_Gods, I just can't do this!_

I stomped back to our room, threw random clothes into a bag with my laptop and cell phone charger, and I decided to take up on Rachel's offer of staying with her to calm me down.

When I came outside, I wanted them to notice the bag on my shoulder or the keys in my hand. I wanted them to do _something_ about it. Even if it was _Henry._

But the two men were too busy yelling at each other to notice the reason that they were fighting had packed and was leaving.

"Guys," I tried, and no response, "Hello?"

Nothing.

"Henry, Percy, stop yelling."

They still didn't hear me, and my patience was running thin.

"_Shut up!_" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and they stopped this time.

They stared at me, shocked.

I did not yell.

There were times where I threw things, had snide comments, and threw some daggers at a board to calm me down.

But no yelling.

It just wasn't Annabeth.

It was the biggest proof that I was pissed.

And I was.

More pissed that I was pretty sure I had ever been, and the pregnancy hormones weren't exactly helping.

Right now, it was a miracle that my baby had a living father whoever he was.

"Thank you. Can I have three _freaking_ seconds without screaming before I leave?"

Percy's eyes wondered to the bag, and his jaw dropped.

"L-Leave?"

"Look now. She's leaving you, too," Henry rolled his eyes at Percy, and Percy narrowed his eyes at him, turning to look at him and bawling his fist.

"This is it! Right here! The fighting. Stop. Just stop! If you keep up with this, there won't be a baby to fight about!" I yelled, and Henry's jaw dropped.

"What?" he looked to Percy like it was his fault.

"Yeah, because of you," Percy shoved him, and Henry's anger grew as he prepared to punch him in the nose.

"Stop!" I screamed, throwing a pair of ballet flats from my bag at both of their faces, hitting Henry's roman nose and Percy's chin.

They stared at me, and this time they didn't start hitting each other. So, I took it as my time to finally scream my lungs out.

"Noah is acting more mature than you two are! _Combined!_ And I am pregnant with your kid! Whoever it actually is! And you two are proving to me that maybe I am better on my own!" I threw my bag on the ground, suddenly not wanting to go for just a night or two.

"Annabeth," Percy tried, but I slammed the door in his face as I went to pack more from my closet, still not paying attention as I threw more stuff into another bag.

He banged on the door, but then he realized I didn't lock the door.

_Crap_, I reprimanded myself.

How did I forget to lock the door?

Percy came in and closed the door behind him, locking it so that Henry wouldn't come in.

Percy awkwardly stood by the door, not expecting to have gotten in.

I looked back to him, my arms crossed.

No, he could not just look at me with those gorgeous sea green eyes and have me forgive him. This wasn't just a fight. This… this was…

"Hades," I finished, and he stared at me, telling me that I was thinking allowed again.

_Wonderful_, I tried not to moan.

"What, Percy? Are you going to tell me that you didn't mean for this to happen? Or that you're just trying to help? Or that I should just take a minute and calm down? Because I've heard it all before!" I threw my arms up in the air in exasperation as I threw more clothes in the bag, and Percy hung his head.

"You're right. You should go."

I turned back to look at him, my eyes wide.

"What?"

"You're right. None of us are helping, and you need some space. I mean, I don't want this to be _permanent_, but it is the right thing for now."

"Y-You think that?"

"Yeah, I do," Percy nodded hesitantly, and the baby took over.

A big smile spread across my face, and I wrapped my arms around him as I thanked him repeatedly.

"So, can I ask where you are going?"

"Rachel's for a few days," I nodded, smiling apologetically.

"I'll take care of the jerk," he nodded towards the door, where Henry was getting annoyed of being locked out, "Pretend that we're fighting so he'll shut up about us having a doomed relationship."

I pushed his hair out of his eyes and hesitated.

"Do we?"

"Do we what?"

"You didn't answer me last night."

"About what?" Percy stared at me, and I bit my lip.

It had been bothering me this entire time.

I just wasn't exactly sure how to ask this. I had asked so many times that I was beginning to give up ever getting an answer.

Percy lowered his head, taking my silence as an answer.

"I've been thinking about it, and I always pictured our child with blonde curls," Percy ran his fingers through my hair, "Grey eyes. And super smart. I wanted a kid like you. And it doesn't matter if my name is on a birth certificate or not. If you'll have me, I want to be here. I want to wake up at two in the morning when the baby cries, to be there when it learns to walk, and to make Noah babysit it when he really just wants to go to the dance or something."

I laughed, and Percy smiled.

"Hey, do you remember Louise?" I asked, and Percy nodded.

Louise was a daughter of Demeter who used to always bake. We weren't very close when we were kids, but we got close when we got older. Louise was now wedding cake baker to the stars, and her wedding present to us was a cake that could cost thousands for free.

"I think I could get us in for a cake tasting tomorrow. We might as well try to get some wedding stuff out of the way."

Percy broke out into a smile.

While I had been waiting for us to talk about the possibility of the baby being Henry's, Percy had been waiting for any mention of the wedding so that he could have proof that I wasn't calling it off.

Percy kissed the top of my head, and I stopped him before he walked out.

"Hey, remember, we're mad at each other."

He nodded, and he put on a show for Henry as he went back outside.

I smiled to myself as I took care to pack this time, and I was zipping up my suitcase when my cell phone began to ring.

I quickly pressed the ignore button, making a mental reminder to call them after I left.

But then it rang again.

One more time, I pressed ignore.

But then I heard the familiar chime of my cell phone again.

What the Hades?

I picked up my cell phone, and I answered this time.

"Hello?"

"Annabeth, thank the gods. I've got news."

"Ansley?"

_**Percy,**_

"What the fudge was that for?" Henry touched his nose to find the steady red liquid streaming from it.

Only he didn't say _fudge_.

Well, I wouldn't have said fudge either, I guess.

Not if someone had just walked out of a room and punched me in the nose.

But, when I had come out of the bedroom and saw that stupid little sneer about the fight, I hadn't been able to control the urge to punch him. Well, I wanted to beat him up, but I had a feeling that it would be a little too much for Annabeth.

Anyway, I was in charge of handling Henry now. I never told her what handling would be. She gave me as much room as possible on that one. I just had to keep him alive.

_Maybe…_

"Why do you think I did that?"

"Because you're a lunatic, and I don't want you around my child!"

I rolled my eyes.

I was getting tired of that threat, even if it was a pretty scary one. I knew he wouldn't be able to get it with the courts, and Annabeth wasn't going to trust Henry's judgment of good when he had come and done this.

"If Pretty Boy doesn't shut up, you won't just get a nose bleed."

Henry shrank back, and I smiled to myself.

Why didn't I do this before?

"Out," I pointed to the door, and Henry tried to make a stand. But then he remembered that he wanted to look good in the pictures when this story got leaked to the press, or when _he _leaked it.

I wondered if this really was about the cameras.

If it was, what was the point of making trouble for us? Or even coming here instead of waiting for the results to leak it to everyone?

Maybe he did feel something for Annabeth and regret just letting her walk out the door. Maybe he saw this as his chance from Aphrodite to break us up and get back to the girl he loves like in some Romantic Comedy that my mother had made me watch a million times.

But I couldn't feel sorry for him.

If he really loved Annabeth, he would just let her be happy…

"Fine," Henry nodded, and the blonde was gone just like that.

"Thank the gods," I mumbled.

Now I just had to let Annabeth go.

_I can do this,_ I told myself, _If I can raise a kid by myself, fight Kronos _and_ Gea, and salvage a relationsip after six months of worry, I can completely do this._

Or I _think_ I can.

"This calls for the liquor cabinet," I told myself, and I was heading towards the kitchen when I heard something from the bedroom, making me stop.

"_Oh my gods!"_ Annabeth yelled.

"Annabeth? You okay?"

No answer.

I started towards the bedroom curiously, where I could hear the sound of a cell phone turned up high and Annabeth gasping every few seconds.

_What the Hades_?

The first thing that ran through my mind was the results.

But it was too early for those.

It had only been about a week, and we should have another week or two to go for that.

So what it could it be?

Something from work?

I was about to open the door to check on my fiancé when the door opened and the blonde smiled wide at me.

She wrapped her arms around me, giggling like a little girl, and smiling like a little kid at Christmas.

"Are you alright?" I asked, staring at her like she was an alien, and she just kept, smiling not even noticing how worried I was getting.

Had she completely lost it?

"Amazing! Perfect! Wonderful," Annabeth kept her wide smile as she kissed me, and I kept staring.

"Did you overdose on those prenatal vitamins or something?"

She shook her head, letting out more laughs, and that didn't prove much to me.

"I just got a call from Ansley," Annabeth kept waiting for me to get excited, but I wasn't sure why I would get excited when she had reassured me that it would be impossible for us to get any results for another few weeks.

Annabeth shook her head at me.

"Percy, can I get some reaction from you?"

"About what? It's not like we have the results back."

"But we _do_!"

"What?" my eyes widened.

"Well not the results. But a call from Hera personally to Ansley."

My eyes widened, and my stomach lurched.

"Oh my gods. She's _never_ had good news."

"Well, Ansley said it's really complicated and that she'd explain it tomorrow during my appointment. But that isn't important-"

"Annabeth," I stopped her, "You're doing it again. When you start saying something exciting and leave me hanging."

"I was not-"

"Annabeth."

Annabeth nodded, ready to get to the point.

"I'm six weeks along!"

"Really?"

Annabeth nodded, and I felt like I was going to pass out from happiness.

But instead I turned into Annabeth, smiling and giggling like a kid at Christmas Day.

I tightened my grasp on Annabeth and swirled her around, making her laugh, and I kissed her cheek as I set her down. But Annabeth then kissed me on the lips, not even taking the time to make a joke about how I missed or something.

"Do you want to come tomorrow?" Annabeth asked as she pulled away, putting her forehead against mine, and still smiling.

"To the appointment?"

Annabeth nodded, having to move away a little to do so.

"My first ultrasound from what Ansley told me. And the appointment isn't until four. You'd have to miss Student Council."

"Is that supposed to make me not want to come?"

Annabeth laughed, and I kissed her again.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"So, do you want to tell Noah tonight? Now that we know?" Annabeth ran her fingers through my hair, and I moaned.

"What?"

"There's someone else we've got to tell."

"Crap," Annabeth rested her head on my chest, burying her face in my tee shirt.

"I have no problem telling him."

"I'd prefer my future husband _not _go to prison for murder," Annabeth shook her head, "I'll tell him."

She hesitated, and let out a weak smile while biting her lower lip.

"I'll tell him _tomorrow_?"

"Look at my little Annabeth, chickening out."

"I am _not_ chickening out. I'm not _five._"

"It's okay to chicken out," I playfully kissed the top of her head like a mom telling her kid that it was alright that they didn't do well on a test.

Something I knew very well.

"Shut up, Percy," Annabeth rolled her eyes, giving me a kiss.

"So are we at date picking time yet? Or is there more waiting?"

"You and that wedding," Annabeth laughed, loving to tease me, "How's January?"

Three months.

I raised my eyebrows, and Annabeth nodded that she could handle that short time.

"We can pick out the exact date later depending on what is open," Annabeth kissed my nose, "Happy now?"

"Yes, thank you very much. But we can wait if you want."

"You think Athena will really let us have an illegitimate child?" Annabeth laughed, "It's a miracle you're _alive,_ Perseus."

I laughed as I kissed her, and I let bliss of the moment set in.

I took a mental picture for when I was old and grey and Annabeth and I were fighting over the details about it.

"I'm going to call Rachel, okay?"

"Hey, we should probably tell Grover soon."

"Juniper will love it. It'll push Grover over the edge of giving in and having a kid," Annabeth smiled as she walked back to the bedroom and picked up her cell phone from the bed, pressing in the number for her best friend.

I sent out a silent prayer to the goddess of love, and I quickly added that this would be the last surprise for us.

I couldn't stop smiling as I put Annabeth's bag back in our bedroom and checked my cell phone to see if my mom had sent the text telling me that it was time to pick up Noah.

_**So, the soap opera drama is done. My flu is beginning to retreat, and **_**Once An Alpha**_** is completed.**_

_**It probably wasnt as good as it should have been, but it is here after all! You know who the father is, and I don't have to fear for my life from fangirls... *Peaks out the window* I think... ;-)**_

_**Now, tune in for the next chapter where Annabeth tells Henry and they find out Hera's news about the baby. There probably is a lot more I should say, but I need to be getting to bed.**_

_**Oh, and check out my poll. I want to know whether you're Jasper or Jeyna! **_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Annabeth,**_

I felt like puking, and I couldn't blame it on the baby.

I had been planning on dropping by Henry's hotel to tell him where I could scream without worrying about people noticing, but I knew that I would need secret caffeine if I was going to handle this day of telling Henry, my first ultrasound, and hearing Hera's news.

So, I went to my favorite coffee shop and ordered my usual. They remembered me and asked why it had been a while since I had come in, and I shrugged and told them that I had just been busy.

But, as I was turning away with the secret cup of coffee, I dropped it to the floor and gasped at who was sitting at one of the tables.

Reading the entertainment section of the newspaper, he was sitting with only a latte for company.

He looked like he used to when we lived together in California. He always woke up before me, and, when we first started dating, he would make this amazing giant delicious breakfast. Eventually, it became a normal size breakfast and us walking to get coffee. But, every morning I woke up, he would be sitting on one of the barstools with the LA Times and a mug of steaming black coffee.

It's weird how everything can change but some things stay the same forever.

Like how I am about to marry Percy in three months and have his child in eight. But Henry will still be sitting with a cup of coffee and a newspaper about what all of our LA neighbors were doing but probably shouldn't.

I had to admit that we had fun together. We had the best date nights. We could just got on a plane and spend the weekend in Paris for a trip to the Louvre and the best French cuisine. Our wedding was going to be the gala of a century in snowy Connecticut, where his family was from.

And then it all ended…

I didn't regret it. But I wished I had done it in a better way.

I decided against ordering another cup of coffee, and I started towards his table, where there was an empty seat.

_No fighting,_ I warned myself, _No fighting._

"Henry?"

His brown eyes looked up to me and widened.

"Annabeth," a small smile spread across his lips, "Sit down."

I nodded, biting my lower lip as I sat down.

"So, what are you doing here? I thought Percy didn't want you to have coffee," Henry tried to be nice. He tried not to stir me up too much, and I admired the effort.

"Sneaking in some. Long day ahead."

I decided against telling him that I had taken the week off to go look at beaches around here for the wedding. And I decided not to tell him about picking out a cake with Rachel next week or picking out my bridesmaids this week either.

I didn't have much time until the wedding, and I needed to squeeze it all in.

So, the wedding took up most of my thoughts.

But I couldn't find it in myself to tell him that after how much I hadn't been in to our wedding.

Yes, I had chosen the perfect winter-wedding dress. I picked out flowers and cake designs. I made the invitations, and I paid for my seven bridesmaids to be fit into a crème winter wonderland dress that was gorgeous but wouldn't upstage me. And I even cried with my dad when I first showed him my dress.

But I just wasn't really into it.

Somewhere, where I wouldn't admit, it had felt like a gala I was planning for the business.

It had always made me feel guilty as I watched Henry get ready for the wedding, acting like a real groom for a real wedding.

"So I heard you were with Rachel last night?"

I took a deep breath.

Now or never.

Henry froze.

Before I could say anything, he put his head in his hands.

"Oh gods, the baby's not mine, is it?"

I shook my head.

"It's not."

He looked out to the window, trying to get it through his head.

"H-How did you know it wasn't yours, Henry?"

Henry could tell anything about food. He could tell you when to eat something, where it grows the freshest, and what it is best paired with. But women?

It just wasn't his domain.

"You and Percy knew when you would have conceived. That night you got back together. B-but…" Henry closed his eyes, "I didn't know when we could have. I mean, we had both been out of town so much during that busy season that we only spent a handful of nights together. And _maybe_ we forgot _once_. But…"

Henry shook his head, stopping for a long moment and deciding to ask something else.

"Did you miss me? I mean, honestly? Don't lie to me, Annabeth."

I wanted to be cruel after all he had put me through in the last week, but I couldn't do it.

"Yeah, I did for a while. I missed sharing a bed with someone. I missed coming home to the smell of delicious food instead of picking up pizza on the way home from work."

"But you didn't miss me," Henry leaned back in his chair.

I couldn't deny it.

"I missed you as my best friend. But…" I trailed off.

"That's my problem. I missed you. Maybe it was that you got to leave and I was still there, but I was just stuck with this routine. I woke up early in the morning. Took a quick shower to save hot water. Made coffee and started with the entertainment section. And I had to remind myself that you weren't going to pad out of the bedroom and steal my cup of coffee."

I smiled weakly at the memory.

"And when I started dating Blaine."

"_Blaire_, Henry."

"When I started dating Blaire, I tried it again. And this girl didn't get it…" Henry shrugged, "She would steal the paper instead of the coffee, eat half a slice of toast to go off of the entire morning, and she would constantly use Twitter. I mean, how many times can you say, _Reading the paper with Hen! Luhv him!_"

"Maybe that's what you get for dating a girl nine years younger than you."

"Seven actually."

"It was _nine_, Henry."

"Seriously?"

I nodded.

"Maybe I should have read more of her twitter."

I let out a weak laugh, and he nodded out.

"Move out, Henry. You can't stay there."

He nodded, pursing his lips as he thought it over.

He looked up to me and smiled weakly.

"So, when is it?"

I would have asked what he was talking about, but his gaze lingered on my hand where I was wearing the ring that Percy had given to me only a few weeks before.

It felt like a lifetime…

"January. I like the tenth, but we are waiting to see what's open to pick an exact date," I nodded, and Henry hesitated.

"I just want to know, was it always about him? I mean, was he always on your mind? Or was there a while when you were really mine?" Henry asked, and I hesitated.

"I was yours for a while, Henry," I smiled weakly, "I would have married you and had kids with you without another thought. I would have always thought that thinking about him came from growing up with him. But…"

I smiled to myself.

"Then I went shopping online for a Christmas present for Sam, and there he was. AB. And, once I had him back, though I didn't know it was Percy, I just couldn't go through with it. I couldn't marry you and pretend that I was all yours. Because I've really been his since I was twelve years old."

Henry nodded.

He had known about AB a little bit.

Well, he had known that I was talking to someone online named AB, and he had been a little jealous.

I guess it wasn't a stretch for him to think that it was Percy…

"We weren't right for each other, Henry. I mean, you liked _Star_ _Trek_ when _Star Wars_ is the obvious choice."

Henry let out a little smile, and I nodded.

We would never be friends.

Not after this.

But she took some sort of comfort that she knew he would be alright. Once he got back on his flight to LAX and tried paying attention to his new girlfriend and moving out of our old apartment.

"Go back to LA," my voice was gentle, friendly, but he knew that it was also forceful, "That's your place.'

"This was always your place…" Henry smiled weakly as he looked around, "New York City. It's too depressing for me. Too _cold._ I miss the sun."

"You and that sun."

Henry hesitated, and he smiled.

"I'd say see you around, but I won't."

I nodded.

"Domestic life. Soccer dad. Pre-school. Kindergarten. Babysitters. Bake sales," Henry shook his head, "Not my cup of tea. But, if anyone can make it look good, you can."

We used to be the same on that.

I didn't want to become one of those moms who wore _mom jeans_ and drove a minivan. I wanted to continue with what I was going, getting on a plane for a new place whenever I wanted, and having the flexibility to go at the moment I decided it.

And while mom jeans and minivans were still out of the question, I found myself liking this all.

Chasing Noah around to get him to put on his pajamas. Picking him up from school and embarrassing him by planting a big kiss on his cheek. Cheering for him at soccer games. And teasing him about Kate and this new Tabitha girl.

"I may be able to make it look good, but I don't want the whole world to watch and wait for a bump. Don't tell."

"Why would I do that?"

I stared at him with my arms crossed.

"I get _no_ benefit from it. Neither do you. So what's the point?"

"What are you going to say about your week in New York?"

"Who says they'll ask?"

"Thanks to you, we're the big story right now, Henry."

"Alright, I'll say I came to beg for your forgiveness. But I saw that you were happier with Noah and Percy than you had been with me, and I went home to let you live your new life. No mention of the giant ring over there or the baby. Promise," Henry raised his hands in surrender.

"You will leave us alone, right?"

"I'd prefer to stay alive, and your new fiancé packs a punch. He definitely didn't let himself go," Henry felt at his nose, and I rolled my eyes.

_Percy, Percy, Percy,_ I shook my head, _Why didn't you do that _sooner_?_

"I've got to go," I stood, and Henry nodded.

So this is it.

Walking out of a coffee shop.

I expected more from the moment that I would tell Henry that the baby wasn't his, but I was in no place to demand a big scene.

"Bye, Henry."

He let out a weak wave.

"LA beckons," he smiled playfully, but it felt weak and wrong.

I held up my hand for a gentle wave, and I found myself stopping at the door to get a last look at Henry.

We had done this before, said goodbye and gotten on a plane for the other side of the country. But this felt different. Back then we just _expected _it to be permanent. We didn't _know_ what came next for us, and we didn't know if our future would lead us together.

Now we knew that it didn't.

That our future led me to marrying Percy and raising little Noah and our own little baby.

And that our future led Henry to find someone who wasn't obsessed with Twitter and who he actually knew the name of.

It was always tempting to hold on to the past because you knew it. You knew what happened, and you knew what would happen. But the future always had a mystery that sometimes you didn't want to figure out.

My past had Henry. My past had LA, jet setting, and expensive gowns for expensive galas.

My future had Percy. My future had New York, being a mom, and a wedding gown to marry the man of my dreams.

Today, I was more than happy to walk out of the coffee shop and into my future.

_**Percy,**_

I looked to Annabeth, who was biting her lower lip as she waited for her sister.

"Its okay, Annie. If there was really bad news, she would have told us over the phone," I tried to comfort her.

I had told her this a million times since getting off from work to come to the appointment, and it had been met with the same result every time.

A weak smile. A kiss on the cheek. Her saying, "You're probably right," and pretending to be fine for a minute or two before biting her lip and worrying again.

This happened again, and I was beginning to give up on comforting Annabeth.

We rode in the same cab to the doctor's office, and she had told me everything that happened with Henry, including him promising not to tell anyone about the baby or the engagement. She told me that she was having Rachel as her maid of honor but Thalia still in the wedding because she was in Arizona right now. And we agreed to go look at a possible venue for the wedding on Saturday.

Annabeth seemed to be excited for the ultrasound, and things were going fine until Annabeth made a prayer to Hera and began to think of the goddess.

"Hera just never has good news," Annabeth shrugged apologetically, not being able to control her nerves.

"I know. I know," I kissed the top of her head, and she let out a small smile.

"If it isn't the two lovebirds."

"Hey, Ansley," Annabeth shook her head at her older sister, and Ansley just smiled.

"So, Percy, I hear you banned coffee. Annabeth must really love you if you're still alive," Ansley smirked as she took her seat on the little rolling chair thing.

I know it is just a chair or maybe it has a real name, but I call it the rolling chair thing.

"So, are you two ready for what I have learned from Hera?" Ansley got straight down to business, looking at the two of us, and Annabeth nodded quickly.

_We were as ready as we'd ever be…_

"Well, if I thought Athenian pregnancies were weird, pregnancies where both parents are demigods are just the twilight zone," Ansley began, smiling at learning something knew.

_Definitely a daughter of Athena trait…_

We kept staring.

"They're shorter, especially if there is a descendant of Poseidon because of the short pregnancies of fish or something like that. It's kind of a tactic to protect the baby. Given your parentage, your pregnancy should have only been seven months. Maybe six."

"Wait, so I only have seven months?"

"No, that's what Hera called about. Since you pissed her off so badly but Aphrodite loved you guys so much, Hera couldn't do anything about your love life. But your pregnancy is in her domain."

"What did she do?" Annabeth's voice squeaked out as she placed a protective hand over her stomach, which she had been trying to hide adamantly even though you couldn't really tell she was pregnant.

"Oh no, the baby is fine. Perfectly healthy from what I can tell. And normal. That's what she did."

"She made our child human?" I asked hopefully, and Ansley shook her head again.

"She's not that nice. She gave you a normal pregnancy, Annabeth."

Annabeth knit her eyebrows in confusion.

"Athenian pregnancies are dulled, which is why it takes them so long to learn about them. And demigod couple's pregnancies are shortened. You have neither of those."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"So normal pregnancy means…"

"Morning sickness. Change of taste. Weight gain. Cravings. Mood swings. The works."

Annabeth's jaw dropped.

"You're telling me the one good thing about being a demigod was taken away from me by Hera?"

"Afraid so," Ansley nodded, and Annabeth crossed her arms, steaming now.

I began to go over what Ansley had just said while Annabeth's anger began to simmer as she and Ansley began to talk about symptoms of Annabeth's pregnancy and what she should expect.

Cravings?

That meant waking up at two in the morning to get weird foods with her using the, _"You got me pregnant in the first place!"_ card or, "_But the baby is hungry, Sweetie_," something I had heard from all of my friends who had children.

Mood swings?

That meant more of the Hades I was already enduring.

The works?

Did I even want to know what that meant?

"So," Ansley painted a smile on her face as she finished the last thing on her clipboard, "Annabeth, are you ready for the ultrasound?"

Annabeth smiled, though it wasn't as wide as it had been earlier because she was still thinking about what she had just been told about Hera.

"Alright then, lay back, and pull up your shirt," Ansley stood from her chair and came over to the two of us as Annabeth pulled up her purple shirt to show a slight bump starting to form.

This began to remind me of the first ultrasound when JoJo was pregnant with Noah, or the first ultrasound that JoJo let me come to.

I could still remember the worry for my child I felt when I first took a look at JoJo in the lobby. Her leather pants were meant for someone two sizes smaller and many years younger. Her floppy tee shirt was for some band. And, despite her strict orders, she had died her hair blonde again and was sneaking in a shot of Redbull.

Knowing everything JoJo did, it's a miracle Noah came out okay.

"I'm going to warn you, this is cold," Ansley smiled as she put the jelly on Annabeth's abdomen and began to turn the ultrasound on.

Annabeth kept smiling as the little monitor turned on, and she wrapped her hand around mine as Ansley looked for the baby.

I don't think I had ever seen Annabeth smile that wide.

She was absolutely glowing. This was the first time in her pregnancy where she could just be… well, _pregnant_. No crazy exes or gods with a grudge or too much love.

It was just the three of us, or maybe I should say four, looking at the first picture of a baby.

My smile kept widening as I watched the monitor and Annabeth's happy expression as she waited to see her child.

"And there it is," Ansley smiled, "Just the size of a little blueberry."

I squinted to see what she was talking about, but Annabeth found it immediately.

"Oh my gods. There it is," Annabeth stared at the monitor, her eyes watering as she began to laugh with joy.

"Its growing right on schedule," Ansley smiled as she looked at her niece or nephew.

I had been through this before.

Seeing the baby and realizing that it was actually there, that there was a person with half of your DNA growing inside of someone else.

Of course, with Noah, I began to pray that the pregnancy would just get over with because I was scared of what would happen with JoJo and everything.

But, this time, I had no crazy mothers to worry about. No syco exes stalking us. And no prayers that this pregnancy would just get over with.

Well not yet on the last one…

This time, I just felt happiness seize me and the sudden fatherly instincts kick in.

_Annabeth's about to give up a lot more than coffee,_ I mentally told myself, and I made a mental reminder to pick up pregnancy books on the way to pick up Noah from school.

"Thanks," Annabeth whispered to me as she looked away from the monitor for the first time since it turned on.

"I love you," I whispered, and Annabeth seemed to beam as I kissed the top of her head.

"That's our baby," she smiled, a tear streaming down her face with joy.

"Still mad at me for forgetting something?"

"Mad? No. Use it against you for the rest of your life? Yes."

I rolled my eyes and looked back to our little baby.

It was worth it, I knew it was.

But I had a feeling that these nine months of _The Works_ wouldn't pass fast enough.

* * *

**So Henry is gone. And they had a good goodbye, right? I just wanted to show that he wasn't just a jerk (he was a jerk but not completely). I hope you liked the first ultrasound and Hera's not nice but not bad news.**

**Anyway, wedding stuff in next chapter. And does Juniper have a secret? I got a headstart on the next chapter during a long drive. So, yeah, she does.**

**Well, you won't have to wait that long because I was tricked into going to Birmingham, AL, this week while Mark of Athena is being delivered tomorrow morning and I won't be there. ****Birmingham or anything. The Vulcan statue sounds pretty cool, and I love rain. So, I should stop complaining. If it wasn't Mark of Athena time, I would be fine.**

**But it is...**

**WARNING, **_**DO NOT**_** REVIEW SPOILERS OF **_**MARK OF ATHENA**_** BEFORE **_**November **_**(just to be on the safe side if I want to try to make the book last and limit myself like last year),**

**Alright, wish me luck in Alabama and avoiding Skype calls from my ex-best friend (new best friend break up. Not really used to it yet. It's for the best, but it still hurts, you know?)**


	29. Chapter 29

_**Percy,**_

"Hey, you look great," Juniper smiled at Annabeth, who smiled wide.

With a bump becoming bigger and bigger every morning from what Annabeth complained about, Annabeth took that compliment seriously now.

I personally thought that Annabeth looked the best she had ever looked. Her skin was no longer tan but seemed to glow. Now that she had cut down on work for the stress levels, she was finally relaxed. I had never seen Annabeth's grey eyes so happy.

For once, things were good. While we had the future of getting through a wedding, having a new baby, and continuing our busy work lives, we had no prophecies. No crazy gods trying to kill us. No threats against our child (Riptide had gotten a lot of use when everyone found out about Noah, and no one dared mess with me now).

But Annabeth didn't see it like that.

She saw it as a growing stomach that seemed to get bigger with every second. She saw it as a wedding coming up soon. And she saw it as waking up at four in the morning to puke, brushing her teeth and not wanting to eat for another decade or so, but then eating a pound of bacon at breakfast.

"Look at you. What did you do?" Annabeth smiled at her old best friend but then shook her head, "That came out wrong."

Juniper smiled and began to laugh, shaking her head.

"I went back to my natural hair color," Juniper nodded, "I think the brown was just washing me out. But how do you get your hair to do that? I have been trying to do that _curly-thing_, and I can't do it."

Before they could continue with their hello compliments, there was a beep from the kitchen.

Annabeth looked to Juniper, and she smiled.

"Oh that's the brownies. I'm starving," Juniper held her stomach, and I stared at the gesture for a minute. For a second there, I could have sworn that was the same way Annabeth held her stomach…

I looked back to Grover for confirmation, and he was watching how Annabeth was holding her stomach as she agreed with being hungry.

As the two girls went back into the kitchen, Grover and I both waited until we knew that they were in the kitchen before opening our mouths.

Well, actually, we didn't open our mouths.

We kept waiting for the other to ask…

"So, is Juniper still wanting a baby?" I tried to seem nonchalant about it, and Grover nodded.

Grover opened his mouth to say something but quickly corrected himself.

"More than ever. Our anniversary just passed after all. Another year without a kid," Grover laughed, and I nodded, still watching him for the confirmation.

An awkward silence filled the pine-scented air.

The kid-having phase was sweeping around all of our friends, even the ones who swore they would never have kids due to their blood. Even Jason fell in love with Noah and begged his wife to have a baby(preferably a little girl with blonde curls, his wife's beautiful eyes, and the name Blithe that he could spoil rotten), though she wasn't sold on it yet. Leo already had a son, Nick, and Noah thought that the toddler was so adorable. And Frank was scared to have a child considering how fragile his life was…

"So, you and Annabeth? Have you guys talked about having kids?" Grover asked, and I shrugged with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, I think we will. We talked to Noah about it, and he was really open to the idea," I tried to keep my promise with Annabeth to not spill my guts and wait for us both to tell them.

Noah _had_ been open to the idea.

In fact, he was excited about having a little sibling, as long as he didn't have to share a room and that they liked Spongebob, informing us that the deal was off if the baby didn't fit both of those demands.

Annabeth and I had told him by showing him the sonogram of his new little sibling, and he had quickly set off those two rules that the baby had to follow. But, once we had tried not to laugh as we agreed, he was pretty happy about it.

Grover and I were staring at each other, not sure if we should just blurt the question out or do as we were probably both told, to wait until they decided to tell. It was a relief when the two girls came out of the eco-friendly-material made kitchen.

When they bought the store, Grover had left it to Juniper to remodel the apartment above. Though they did rent the top apartment to some son of Demeter eco-major student, they liked to keep the top two levels of their store to themselves.

The floors were bamboo and mopped with some eco-friendly soap that Juniper loved. The tile was from some company that donates half of their proceeds to saving the rainforest. And everything in this apartment could be listed off to something involving eco-friendly or saving nature.

Even the brownies were being carried on a hand-made bamboo tray that was from a charity to save pandas.

"Hey, did you see Pride and Prejudice series thing last night?" Annabeth asked as she sat on the couch across from Juniper, putting the tray on the coffee table in the middle.

"I just started crying at the end," Juniper shook her head.

"I started crying when Mr. Darcy was doing all that for Elizabeth, tracking Wickham down and making him marry her little sister after running off with her. And how she thought that he was ashamed to have her in his acquaintance!"

"What about Mr. Bingley's proposal?"

"When Jane thought he just saw her as a friend after leaving for London because of his evil sister?"

Grover and I looked to each other.

We didn't need confirmation when we had them right here.

Grover and I nodded to each other, and I went to go sit by Annabeth while he went to Juniper.

"So, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving? California or New York?" Grover cut in, and I answered.

"California. Noah is with his mom and grandparents this year. I've got to go see Annabeth's family."

"That oughta be fun after everything," Grover smiled.

_Double that once her protective younger brothers find out just why we chose to get married so fast instead of taking our time,_ I mentally added.

"We'll be fine," Annabeth nudged me, "Just as long as Seaweed Brain doesn't say anything stupid."

"So _Seaweed Brain_ won't say anything _stupid_?" I laughed as I looked back to Annabeth, and she playfully pushed me.

"Okay, so I put a life insurance policy on you before Thanksgiving," Annabeth shrugged, and Juniper and Grover began to laugh, not knowing that it was actually a good idea.

"So, I thought Noah had a game tonight," Juniper knit her eyebrows in confusion as she reached for another brownie.

"Oh he does. Malcolm is with him. Then he's taking the kids out for pizza."

"Noah and Kate," Juniper smiled.

"Oh, did I tell you about Tabitha?" Annabeth smiled.

"Tabitha? Who's Tabitha?"

"Alyssa told me that Noah has a crush on this little girl in his class, Tabitha. Its so adorable."

"Tabitha screwing up the plan, eh? What are we going to do now that he isn't marrying Kate?" Grover shook his head, laughing.

"Poor little Kate," Juniper continued on with the joke, and we continued the small talk for a while.

But I was just itching to tell my best friend about the baby, and I kept watching Annabeth for the queue to tell them about our little miracle.

Well, I called it our little miracle until last night, when Annabeth had her first middle of the night craving.

It's amazing how easy it is to get Chinese food during the day but is like an Olympic sport when the clock strikes midnight.

Then it was just referred to as the baby.

"So, we actually wanted to tell you guys something," Annabeth smiled, and Juniper raised her eyebrows for Annabeth to continue, grabbing another brownie.

Annabeth leaned on me, and her smile widened.

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh my gods," Juniper smiled, putting her hand over her stomach, "Me, too!"

"How far along?"

"Nine weeks!"

"I'm seven!"

"Oh my gods!" the two girls smiled as they hugged, and Grover and I looked to each other.

"Have you reached the cravings yet?"

"Last night."

"I haven't slept in two weeks," Grover nudged me while the two women continued to talk.

_**Annabeth,**_

"So, can you feel the baby?" Noah asked curiously from the seat beside me on the couch, where he had been watching Spongebob for the last ten minutes.

"Sort of. I know it's there, but I can't feel it move," I smiled at Noah, and he kept staring at me.

"Where did the baby come from?"

My eyes widened, and I hesitated.

"Well, its in my stomach, and-"

"No, how did it _get_ there?"

Oh gods.

How did it get there?

What do you say to that?

I was about to tell him to go ask his dad when I remembered that Percy was out picking up pound cake for me.

_Crap,_ I mentally reprimanded myself.

Had I not desperately wanted that cake, I would have regretted sending him out instead of forcing this conversation with Noah to him.

But I _really_ wanted some cake…

"Well…" I burned bright red, and I looked back to my computer screen, smiling with a plan, "Hey, Noah, do you think I would look pretty in this one?"

The wedding dress was on the end of the list of things I needed to do for the wedding.

But I had tackled the venue (a lighthouse at a small beach about an hour from here). The cake tasting was on Monday. I had my five bridesmaids all in their dresses that I had approved, except for Juniper for the same reason I hadn't picked out a wedding dress. And the invitations had gone out last week.

I had been planning the wedding for three weeks now, and I was still on track.

Well, except for the dress.

I needed to get an order in, but I was scared of my growing stomach.

Though Percy claimed that I was over reacting, I could see the bump all the time. Even when I was hiding it in lose dresses and pencil skirts. It wasn't big, but it was growing all the time.

Noah leaned over me to look at the wedding dress on the screen.

It was pretty.

It looked like what a goddess would wear, and I could tell that it would hide my stomach. It reminded me of something you would see in the throne room of the Olympians.

"I don't like it."

I looked at him, a little shocked.

"You don't?" I knit my eyebrows in confusion.

I was going shopping with Rachel tomorrow to find the dress. I wasn't into the _"This is the dream dress moment!"_ that you see on TLC. That had never been my style, and I didn't expect to be like that.

My wedding wasn't about the party.

It was about marrying Percy. While I was being a little girly and going all "Dream Wedding", I would marry Percy in jeans if I had to.

The dress had really been to look beautiful for Percy. I didn't feel good about being pregnant on my wedding day or gaining weight, but I really missed being the perfect California girl who trains all the time hottie for him. He said he didn't care, but I cared.

"No," Noah shook his head, "I like that one."

Noah pointed to a dress on the bottom of the screen, and I pressed the dress to get a better view of it.

It was… beautiful.

Lace. Beading. Sophisticated but not too safe. Very January wedding. And, if my stomach continued to grow the way it was, the dress would hide my pregnancy enough.

"I think you would look pretty in that."

I kept looking from Noah to the dress.

"Its… _gorgeous, _Noah," my eyes widened at him and then back to the dress, "Perfect actually."

I sent the page to the printer, and I took note of the website I was on.

"I'm going to start on my homework," Noah told me as he got off the couch.

"Okay, Sweetie," I smiled at him before picking up my phone to call Rachel.

As Rachel answered the phone, she was in maid of honor mode.

Her questions were about the wedding, things like asking if the caterer had bombed out or something.

I had thought of hiring a wedding planner. But who needed one when they had Rachel?

"No, the cake is fine. The caterer is wonderful. Everything is great. I just wanted to tell you that I found this amazing dress, and I was wondering when you wouldn't be too busy to come and try it on with me?"

"A dress?"

Rachel had made it clear that she did not approve of my waiting to pick my wedding dress.

"Well, Noah found it. Online. They have it in stock at that posh place where we make fun of all of those MRS-Degree girls who just got the ring and giggle like little kids when they try on their dresses."

"That place?"

"Don't start on that now. You knew Drew got nice when she had her baby."

"Actually she got nice when she got fat. And she stayed nice when she started losing the weight."

Rachel and the daughter of Aphrodite had history, but they would have to put it aside for me.

When this was offer, they could go back to screaming at each other. For now though, they would have to smile nice for me.

"Are you coming or not?"

"Is Reyna coming?"

Despite Piper's reaction, Reyna and I became friends. Good friends actually. We got closer when I went back to California, and I hadn't even had to think about it to ask if she would be in my wedding. The only question was if she would say yes.

Rachel and Reyna weren't close, but they were friendly.

"No, why?"

"I want her to send me some pictures from Rome. I remember this garden I want to paint but can't remember everything about it."

"And email is out of the question?"

"Email…" my best friend let the word roll over her tongue as if she hadn't even thought about it.

"I'll get an appointment. Drew already said she wants to help me out as a wedding gift, and I think I can get us in around lunch. Can you meet me then?"

"Yeah, of course. You just got me out of lunch with Apollo."

I hung up the phone, and I closed my laptop.

_What now?_

I didn't want to do anything for the wedding, Malcolm had made it clear he didn't want me working much, and I had looked through enough cribs for one lifetime.

I was about to go and see if Noah wanted any help with his homework when the front door opened.

"Sorry it took so long. I had to break out this baby to get people to part in the sidewalk," Percy held up a skateboard that I had given him for his birthday years back.

I usually would have teased him, but I was in a romantic mood.

And I decided to roll with it.

"Thank you, Sweetie," I kissed his cheek and smiled wide at him.

He grinned but stared at me, trying to figure out what was up.

"It's only pound cake, Annie."

"I mean thank you for everything. For being there for me during all of this," I motioned towards my growing belly.

"Hey, I'm the one who got you pregnant," he smirked, making me blush.

I had used that against him last night when I was desperate for brownies.

"Shut up," I nudged him, and he kissed my cheek.

"So anything happen while I was gone?" Percy smiled as he brought the groceries to the kitchen. Aside from the poundcake, he had also decided to save himself a late trip to pick up food tonight. So he grabbed my usual cravings.

"Well, I think I found a dress," I pulled myself to the barstool, "I broke the news to Piper that I am also having Reyna in my wedding, and Hazel and Dana found the right bridesmaid dresses for them. And…"

I smiled to myself as Percy took a sip of his favorite blue soda.

"Noah asked where the baby came from."

He choked on his drink, laughing.

"What did you say?"

"I didn't. I quickly changed the subject."

His gorgeous smile spread.

Some people thought that Jason had been more handsome when we were younger.

But I had never seen it.

I liked how his black hair had fallen into his beautiful sea green eyes. I loved that mischievous grin and twinkle in his eyes that always made you wonder what he would do next. I liked that little birthmark on the back of his neck and his tattoo on the side of his arm. And I adored everything about him, even if it drove me insane sometimes.

After Percy's college years (when he began to look more and more like the gods he shared part of his DNA with), everyone thought that Jason and Percy were equal.

But they weren't.

At least not to me.

"He's not going to stop asking you know. He's stubborn like you."

"But he has ADHD like both of us."

Noah's wasn't as strong. It was there but not nearly as bad as ours.

He didn't have dyslexia, thank the gods, and I often found myself praying that the new baby would be gifted like that, too.

Before Percy could ask me how I was feeling, I spoke up.

I was pregnant, yes, but I was also Annabeth. And I had heard, "How are you feeling?" from everyone today. I wanted to talk about something other than whether I had been throwing up today or not.

"Hey, did you decide on your groomsmen."

"Yeah, I've got Jason, Grover, Frank, Leo, Malcolm, and Chiron."

"I've got Rachel, Piper, Reyna, Hazel, Thalia, and Dana."

Percy nodded.

"So, are you excited?" he smiled as he came to the counter, smiling across at me.

I answered by breaking the space between us and kissing him.

"Eww!"

We broke apart to look at Noah, who was staring at us as he talked on his cell phone.

"What are they doing?" I heard someone ask from the other line, Sam I think.

Both Noah and Sam had gotten cell phones early.

Noah needed one due to his unreliable mother, and Sam got one because he convinced Malcolm he needed one (though I can't think why).

"They're kissing!"

"Eww!" from the other line.

_**Ahhhhhh!**_

_**My keyboard broke, so I have been through Hades to finally be able to write again. I got Mark of Athena early and the sweet people at Barnes and Noble found out that I was such a big fan and gave me the poster "saying Mark of Athena October 2**__**nd**__**"**_

_**I have a lot to say, but I need to get going. So I am just going to tell you to not give me any spoilers. After waiting three years, I am trying to pace myself. I am a super-fast reader, so "pacing myself" is literally killing me.**_

_**Okay, I have to bite my tongue not to go on a rant about the book!**_

_**Bye guys!**_

_**-HAWTgeek**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Annabeth:**_

"Hello, Annabeth," Drew stood from her desk, putting back a picture of her adorable toddler son.

Drew was beautiful. Her black hair was medium length and put into a sleek bun. She had lost all of her baby weight and even a little bit more, and she proudly showed off her body in a tight black pencil skirt and crème ruffle top.

She wasn't the sweetest woman in the world, but she was nicer. And a super expensive wedding dress was a gift from her.

So, right now, I thought she was a sweetheart.

"Hey, thank you so much for working us in," I smiled, motioning behind my back for Rachel to smile.

"Oh it's nothing! I've been waiting for you to come and see me," Drew looked to Rachel and made a pained smile.

I looked back to Rachel, who painted on a smile and nodded.

She had been pissed enough this morning when I made her change out of her paint-stained stained jeans and the tee shirt where she wrote all of her reminders on her sleeve. So, coming to see Drew had only made her worse..

"Hey, Drew."

"I love the blazer, Rachel," Drew tried, "Super cute."

That just made it worse.

"Thanks," Rachel looked Drew over to find something to compliment, "I like your…shoes."

An awkward silence joined the air, and Drew looked down to her wedding ring and bit her cherry red lower lip. Rachel tapped on her leg nervously, and I wasn't sure how to break the tension. Finally, Drew smiled and looked at my stomach.

"Oh my gods! I can not believe you are ten weeks! You are so lucky. I was giant when I was that far along!"

I mentally warned Rachel not to say, "_Yes. you were_," and I happily took the compliment.

It probably wasn't true, but I didn't care.

"Well, I got the dress out for you. Amy will get you in the dress, and, based on your profile, we picked up a few more."

Drew quickly went into business mode and waved over a heavily pregnant blonde that I recognized as her younger half-sister. She smiled at me, and Amy continued small talk as she led the two of us into the waiting room, sitting Rachel down on a couch.

I had been dreading this.

I was able to hide my bump, and I would for a while.

But slimming wrap dresses and professional blazers couldn't help me when I was stripping down and trying on wedding dresses made for women on desperate diets to look their best at their wedding.

_But she's pregnant, too,_ I reminded myself, _I'll be fine._

Amy smiled, her blue eyes drifting down to the ring.

"Oh my gods! That is _gorgeous_!" Amy smiled, and I held up the ring where she could see it. I had gotten a lot of compliments about the ring, but I had never really paid much attention to it. I was in love with Percy and the new family member we were getting in a few months. Eventually, I would go all girly bride and kiss all over Percy for getting "the perfect ring."

"Thank you, I love it, and I love him."

"So, you're marrying…?"

"Oh Percy."

"Oh my gods. I saw that on _E!_ the other night, but I wasn't sure if it was right. You know the other week, they said J-Lo was pregnant! I mean, _puh-lease_."

I laughed, though I wasn't exactly sure what we were _"puh-leasing"_ about.

"So, you two are back together! That is so sweet, and I honestly cannot believe you're pregnant. You look great, Annabeth," Amy smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear, "I just got married. Six months ago. Being a pregnant bride is not nearly as bad as you think. It'll be much easier for you for how you're growing. But I would try some asymmetrical just in case."

I wasn't sure why I was surprised, but I was.

This girl could really do her job.

"That sounds great," I agreed.

"So, when is the wedding?"

"January tenth."

"Hmm… that _is_ soon. But we can take care of it. Now let's get you fitted in. I want to try some other things, too. So we'll do that first. Get a feel of what you like."

Amy led me into a dressing room, and, let me tell you, she was a pretty fast walker for an eight month pregnant 5'3 three woman in four inch heels. I had worn heels for a business presentation, and I was as slow as Christmas trying to keep up with her.

We talked a little more about styles of gowns, and I made it clear that I didn't want to be a princess bride, even though Percy had been teasing me that I should be a princess when that was he saw me the first time.

I found myself staring at the slight bump, which she said was nothing much and looked like it wasn't going to be that big later on, when I got undressed. We picked a first gown, and I booted a ball gown that I tried on because I could barely walk in it and it was putting too much weight on the baby. And she slid me into an A-Line gown.

I showed it off for Rachel, but it reminded me of the A-Line gown with little crystal snow flakes that I was going to wear when I said "I do" to Henry Alexander.

With Rachel agreeing with me, I also said no to the A-Line.

"This is a little different," Amy smiled as she zipped up a beautiful dress that looked like something I had seen in Pride and Prejudice that was just a little more decked out and pregnant bride approved.

If Juniper had seen it, we would have started talking about our favorite chick flicks and started sobbing.

"It's pretty," I smiled, spinning around for Rachel.

"You look gorgeous," Rachel smiled, pointing at the easily seen cleavage, "I bet Percy will _love_ that."

I stuck my tongue out at Rachel and crossed my arms, which just made it worse.

"No wonder Percy was so excited when you got pregnant," Rachel smirked, hip bumping me.

"We can actually fix that if you want," Amy offered, and I shook my head.

"I don't really like this," I tried not to scrunch up my nose.

"Well I think we can try on the other dress," Amy looked like this was typical and that we weren't having any trouble, though I wasn't sure I agreed.

I nodded, wondering if being a pregnant bride was much harder than Amy realized when it came to the dress.

_Its not your fault, Sweetie,_ I told the baby, _If I'm going to blame _anyone_, it'll be your daddy. He's used to it._

Amy, once again, led me into the dressing room, and she helped me out of the Pride and Prejudice dress and into the next one.

I didn't stop to look in the mirror, and I went out to show Rachel, who gasped at the dress.

My grey eyes washed over the mirror, and even I gasped.

It was… new.

The first thought in my mind was, _Fresh Start_.

The fit-and-flair gown was clean cut and modern but still traditional enough to be a beach wedding. The way that it kind of went side-to-side already made my stomach smaller and would make it smaller at the time of the wedding. Despite how I thought I wanted a sweetheart neckline, I adored the straight edge showed off my new chest without being something I wouldn't want my child to look at later on. Though I had been convinced earlier that lace wasn't the way to go, I loved how the sheer lace sleeves looked, and I smiled to myself that I would be able to wear my grandmothers necklace with the deep V-Neck to touch the straight edge of the dress part.

"Noah was right," I ran my hand over the dress, and I felt like crying.

I kept telling myself that I always wanted to cry since I was pregnant, but I had a feeling that I was going all crying-bride.

"So, what do you think?" Amy looked at me hopefully, and my eyes watered as I nodded.

Great, now I'm like one of those annoying girls on TLC.

"I just found my wedding dress."

_**Percy,**_

My eyes still full of sleep, I looked to the clock.

_Two in the morning._

This was the normal time when I woke up.

I put Noah to bed by nine, and I was asleep by eleven because I had to be up early to get to school before my students.

When Annabeth moved in, not much changed in that respect. Annabeth just had to get used to waking up, or throwing pillows at me to get me to shut up, at the early time that we got up. The only thing that had changed was when our coffee amount went up.

When the cravings came around, another time came in on our clock.

Two in the morning.

That was when Annabeth would nudge me, and, when that didn't work, she would shake me awake. Then she would look at me with those beautiful grey eyes, curl up beside me, and ask if I could do one little thing for her. When I agreed, that "little" thing, she would then go on about what I needed to get for her. When I moaned about it, she would kiss me on the cheek and say, "It's for the baby."

By now, I was so used to her waking me up that I woke up on my own now.

I turned to the other side to see what Annabeth wanted tonight, but she wasn't there.

I sat up in bed, my mind giving me the worst of scenarios.

Had she been kidnapped? Was she taken by a monster who sneaked past me in my deep sleep to not only hurt my future wife but our unborn child? Oh gods, did her mother come?

I jumped out bed, pulling on a shirt and checking my sweat pant pockets for Riptide, and I gripped the pen as I came out of the bedroom.

The kitchen lights were already on, and I saw a mess of curly blonde hair on the couch.

I let out a sigh of relief and let go of the weapon, and I came in to the living room, where she was staring at something in her hand.

I flipped on the lights in the living room, making it easier to see, and Annabeth jumped, looking up at me.

"Oh, you're up."

"So are you," I came to sit on the couch beside her, and Annabeth pushed her hair behind her ear, putting a picture of us from when we were eighteen on the coffee table.

"I just had a bad dream."

"A dream? Or a demigod dream?"

"Dream. Nightmare, really."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I put my hand on hers, and Annabeth curled up around me, resting her head on my chest.

"Not really."

I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing her arm to comfort her. Annabeth took a deep breath, and I kissed the top of my head.

"I just kept seeing the night you left."

I froze.

"And the dream just sped through my life afterwards. Moving to LA. Meeting Henry. Buying an apartment with him, remodeling, and the proposal. But it didn't stop. I-I didn't come to New York. I stayed in LA and married him, and this baby was his."

Annabeth sobbed into my ancient Goode High School tee shirt, and I think the shirt may have made her cry even more.

"I know it's not as bad as our past has been. There's no monsters. No threats, but…" Annabeth looked at me, making it clear that she felt like a silly pregnant woman who cried at everything.

"I get it, Annabeth," I pushed her hair out of her eyes, "I think about it, too. Much more than you do."

Annabeth stared at me, urging me to continue.

"Do you remember the Argo II? When we looked out of the glass bottom?"

Annabeth let out smile and nodded.

"I had always known I loved you, but, then, I realized that I wanted _this_. I wanted to marry you, and I wanted to have a child with you. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you," I smiled, "I messed up for a while. I got scared, and I didn't know what to do and left."

I shuddered, but I kept going.

"But I would never, _ever_ do that again. I love Noah, and I couldn't live without him. But I can't live without you," I laced my hand through hers, smiling at the cool metal of the engagement ring, "And, next year, you will be my wife. And you will have given me another person I can't live without. I have you back, and I may have not kept my promise last time."

I locked on her eyes, and she knew what I meant.

I promised her that it would be us together forever. That I would let go of the edge sooner than I would let go of her.

But I didn't keep it…

"But I saw what happens when you don't keep your promises," I squeezed her hand, "And I will never do that again."

Annabeth smiled, her grey eyes watering for a good reason this time, and Annabeth pulled me into a kiss instead of teasing me for the Romantic-Comedy-Speech I just gave her. Pulling her lips away but leaving her forehead against mine, Annabeth let out a small laugh.

"You could have just given me a pack of Oreos to calm me down."

"Where's the fun in that?" I whispered, and Annabeth laughed again.

"You can go ahead to bed," Annabeth wrapped her arms around my neck, "I'll be right in."

"Oreos?"

"Hey, the baby wants it."

"Sure, the 'baby' wants it."

"Don't worry, Baby," Annabeth looked at her stomach, patting it gently as she stood, "I know, Daddy is being a jerk. Just ignore him."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't listen to everything Mommy says, Baby. Even though she thinks she is, she isn't _always_ right."

"Don't lie to her!" Annabeth playfully put her hand protectively over her stomach.

"We don't know it's a girl."

"Don't you think that I would know? She's living _inside of me_!"

"What if it is a boy?"

"I will still _love_ the baby. I just think it will be a girl," Annabeth shrugged, walking towards the kitchen to the soccer ball cookie jar.

"Good night, and I love you, Annabeth."

I walked to the bedroom, and Annabeth let out a small wave as she picked up two Oreos.

"Love you, too."

* * *

_**So sorry it took so long. I just started school, and things are going kind of crazy around me. And I have almost finished my second draft (my **_**final**_** draft) of my book. I haven't had much time to work on ths story, but I'm not really doing anything today because I didn't go to school because they're really just finishing up projects I wasn't there for at the end of nine weeks and we aren't really doing anything so we won't miss the debate (can't wait to see what Biden says this time). So I decided to work on it.**_

_**By the way, I finished Mark of Athena.**_

_**Oh.**_

_**My.**_

**GOD!**

_**I couldn't wait any longer, so I said "To Hades with pacing myself!" and finished it.**_

_**And I started hyperventilating at the end. My mom is now about to put a tracking device on me when we go to Texas next month to see my godmother who is going through a horrible divorce so I won't go all crazy fan girl on Rick Riordian. **_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Percy,**_

"Good morning, Noah," Annabeth smiled.

Noah stared at Annabeth, looking back to me to silently asked if Annabeth had been abducted and replaced with someone perkier. This morning, Annabeth had been particularly happy. She made bacon this morning and coffee. She didn't complain when the alarm clock blared, and she even put on normal clothes that proudly showed off an early-in pregnancy.

Usually, she wasn't this nice.

No, she was _never_ this nice.

Mornings were simple.

She would pad to breakfast at the same time as Noah, having me make it. She would be sweet to Noah, and then she would look to me with those begging grey eyes and ask if she could have coffee yet. The answer was always no, and she avoided me for the rest of the morning, making it clear she wasn't talking to me yet.

And she absolutely never let _anyone_ see that pregnancy bump.

But this morning she was breaking all of the Annabeth rules.

If it hadn't been for the begging for coffee, I would have thought it wasn't her, too.

"Are you okay?" Noah asked cautiously as he took his spot beside her on the barstool.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Annabeth asked, reaching for an Oreo, "I'm great."

He kept staring, and he turned to me while she wasn't looking.

_Don't ask me_, I shrugged, and Noah looked back to Annabeth.

"So do you have any tests today, Kiddo?" Annabeth reached for a slice of toast on her plate, and Noah forced himself not to stare and start eating his chocolate cereal.

"No. We're not really doing anything today," Noah shrugged, and I looked through my plan for today.

Alice had been weird since I announced that I was engaged to Annabeth and that we were getting married in January. Of course, she was _always_ weird. But this was a different weird, a weird that I couldn't decide whether was good or not.

She was quiet. Not psycho. Normalish.

But she was also kind of sad. She could barely even look at me, and I felt so bad for her I almost boosted her to another English class.

Of course, give it two weeks, and I'm sure she'll be back to having a crush on OneDirection or Justin Bieber or something like that.

She _was_ thirteen after all.

"What are you doing today, Annabeth?"

"My old friend, Reyna, is town."

_Reyna._

I was scared to death of Reyna.

Maybe it was because she offered that Annabeth take blame and be brutally killed by the Romans for the attack of New Rome. Or hitting on me while on the rebound after Jason's disappearance. Or maybe it was even watching as I got turned into a guinea pig. But Reyna wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world.

She _was_ nice. And I understood that I would have become like she was if I had been under that amount of stress. But I would never get that image out of my head of Reyna's pure black eyes being almost as lethal as the sword she carried.

Annabeth was good friends with her though.

They had a lot in common, and they got close when Annabeth moved back to California. And they mainly kept in contact through phone calls and emails, even if they were in the same city.

Reyna had been in town for three days, and Annabeth had really only talked to her through her keyboard.

"Reyna? Is that the pretty lady with the braid?"

My son had strangely adored Reyna the few times he had met her, but he could never remember her name.

Annabeth looked at me questioningly, and I looked up from the grades of my latest quizzes to nod.

"It's Reyna."

Annabeth nodded, looking back to Noah.

"Speaking of pretty girls with braided hair, how is Tabitha?"

We had only seen Tabitha once.

She was a cute little kid.

Chocolate brown eyes. Dark brown hair that she either curled or put in a braid. A cute little smile, and an adorable little face.

Noah shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know," Noah stared at her, silently asking why on earth she was asking.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, and she looked back to me.

I shrugged, and she continued on.

"Wait, I thought you had a crush on Tabitha?"

"Tabitha?" Noah stared at Annabeth like she had suddenly turned green and said, _We come in peace,_ like in all of those cheesy alien movies.

Annabeth crossed her arms, staring at her soon-to-be step-son.

"You don't?"

"No! Sam had a crush on her. He wanted me to set them up!"

"He's six! Why on earth did he want to be set up?"

Noah didn't respond to that.

"He _was_ dating Claire, but then some kids teased him about having girl-coodies because he kissed her. So they broke up."

Annabeth's eyes widened, and I stifled a laugh.

"I'm going to grab my Math book. I left it in your room," Noah jumped off the stool and ran off to the bedroom, leaving Annabeth to just stare.

"I didn't have my first kiss until I was fourteen! And he's _six_."

"It's not his first kiss," I didn't look up from the studysheet I was proofing.

"_What_?"

Now Annabeth was staring at me like I had turned green and my head had grown to the size of those corny aliens in the movies where the alien shows up saying, "We come in peace," but then they blow up the world.

"That happened when he was five. I heard Noah teasing him about it. Some girl named Bella."

"You're kidding?"

I shook my head.

Annabeth thought it over, letting the information set in.

"Kate?"

"I don't think Kate has."

Annabeth took a second, biting her lower lip.

"Noah?"

"If he has, he hasn't told me," I tried not to laugh.

I had to admit that I had been shocked when I found out that Sam had his first kiss at _five_, but its not like it was the end of the world.

"You seem awfully calm about all this," Annabeth crossed her arms, staring at me, and I smiled as I put down my book.

"That's just normal for kids now. I mean, Annabeth, there are pregnant _thirteen_ year olds these days."

"Pregnant at thirteen?" Annabeth leaned back in her chair, "When I was thirteen, I getting my first _period_, not _missing one_."

I held up my hand, signaling TMI.

"Seriously? You got me pregnant, but I can't talk about my period?"

"Can we go back to talking about first kisses again. That was a _little_ less awkward."

Annabeth rolled her eyes but obligued.

"I don't know. I just think that, if our first kiss was when we were fourteen, our child wouldn't have their first kiss until then," Annabeth shook her head, sending her curly hair to dance around her.

Annabeth paused, staring at me cautiously.

I had a bad feeling I wouldn't like the next thing out of her lips.

"I_ was_ your first kiss, right?"

"Yes, Annabeth," I rolled my eyes with a laugh, "But I don't want our first child to have their first kiss because they are probably about to die. I would prefer the normal awkward kiss. Unless I have a daughter, and the guy gets killed on his own so she won't hate me for killing him myself."

"You just admitted we're having a daughter!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"

"We won't know for another few months!"

"No, _you_ won't know. I already know. And I like the name Sophia."

"Well I think it will be a boy so we can name it Luke or Charlie."

"Then you should have named Noah that. Because this baby would be a Silena. And someone already named their daughter that after her."

I rolled my eyes, not sure if I should laugh or if that would end the sweet mood she was in this morning.

I only had two mood swings I liked, and I rarely got to see either.

So I decided to take what I could get.

"I better get to work," I stepped up to kiss Annabeth's cheek, "Love you."

"Love you, too," Annabeth smiled, "Would I sound like one of those annoying women who brings up their baby all the time if I said that the baby loves you, too?"

"Yes."

"I don't care. I'm pregnant, I can be annoying," Annabeth put her hand on her stomach, "The baby wuves you, too."

I laughed and kissed the top of her curly hair, making her smile that adorable smile.

"Come on, Noah. Let's get you to school."

_**Annabeth,**_

"Two hot chocolates," Reyna ordered for me, and I looked to the magazine stand beside the little cart.

It had always been our thing, getting hot chocolate.

We were on our way to pick up Reyna's bridesmaid dress, and the baby had been able to mingle past every other smell in the city to find the hot chocolate cart.

Even when we were fighting, Reyna and I could always agree on one thing.

Chocolate was universal.

My eyes wandered past a story about the Kardashians or love triangles that were probably not real. I was about to reach for a story from _Time Magazine_ about a Noble Peace Prize when a magazine caught my eye on the bottom.

_Henry Alexander Begs for Annabeth Chase Back!_

I reached for the magazine, and I quickly paid for it while Reyna decided whether she wanted an Apple Fritter or a strawberry muffin.

"Here's the chocolate," Reyna smiled as she handed me the cup, and I smiled my thanks, sliding the magazine into my purse.

Reyna and I talked as we walked to the store Rachel suggested for Reyna, mainly about the men in our lives. We laughed about Octavian, and we steered away from the subject of Piper.

After Percy chose me, Rachel and I were best friends. We absolutely loved each other, and we had forgotten our animosity as soon as Percy leaned in for that kiss. Jason had expected that, when he made his choice, the two girls would learn to be friends like Rachel and I had.

Instead, they didn't get worse per say. But they didn't get any better.

It wasn't that hard not to talk about Piper since I hadn't seen her in forever, but I knew I would have to mention her eventually since I had already told her that she was going to be in the wedding.

"So, how is life treating you, Annabeth? With Percy?" Reyna asked as we took a turn down a corner, and I smiled wide.

"Well, great. I might even say perfect if Percy banned coffee."

Reyna whistled.

"You've got to love him if he's survived this long without giving you coffee."

I smiled and nudged her.

"I thought most pregnant women liked it. You know, being natural. Not dying hair and no wine or anything. That they felt really close to Juno now that she blessed them with a child."

"What kind of pregnant women are you talking to? I know you're thinking about getting pregnant and everything, but do not put it up on a pedestal or anything. You're moody. You want to eat _everything_, which you later puke up at five in the morning. And, if you're just as lucky as me, you'll have the father reading too many pregnancy books and telling you everything that you desperately want you can't have."

Reyna stared at me.

"Why do people willingly get pregnant?"

I let out a laugh at my friend.

"Don't ask me. I have a complete_ oops_ baby. I love her, but she's an _oops_."

"Oops baby?"

"You've never heard that?"

"No," Reyna shook her head, and her eyes wondered to my purple trench coat, "So what was the point of wearing the shirt that shows your stomach if you are going to wear a trench coat?"

"You can see it. Not them," I pointed towards a reporter weaving through the crowds while one of the latest starlets flipped her dyed blonde hair and let out a wave to the passing pedestrians as if they honestly cared who the heck she was.

"How does it feel to be famous?" Reyna nudged me.

It was hard to complain about my job after she had been in charge of everything in New Rome, putting the city above herself at all times. For gods' sakes, she didn't even get a chance to have a teen-girl-cry after Jason showed up with Piper on his arm years ago in New Rome.

"Calm yourself, Reyna. Someone might see _the_ Praetor Reyna having fun! Or worse, _being human_. We can't let that happen."

"Shut up."

Reyna let out a small moan when she saw a bunch of teenage girls giggling and trying on neon prom dresses in one of the shops.

"We're not going _there_, are we?"

I pulled my friend on to the next store, and Reyna and I made our way through the dress shop. I took out my cell phone to compare the shades of grey, and we stopped when we found the area that held what we wanted.

We laughed as we pushed past dress after dress, and our conversation quickly moved back to Percy.

"So Percy thinks you're having a boy?" Reyna asked, picking up another dress.

"Not really. But he keeps saying that I should stop saying we're having a girl since we don't really know."

"It's in _your_ body. You should know if it is a girl or boy."

"Finally, someone who sees it like I do," I smiled, holding up a possible dress, and Reyna shook her head.

"Was it this hard for you to find a dress?" Reyna complained.

"To hide this," I motioned towards my stomach, and I motioned towards my chest, "And this. I mean, why do they have pregnancy wedding dresses that hide your stomach but won't hide freaking these?!"

"Most women are happy about that," Reyna nudged me, "I bet Percy is, too."

I nudged her back, and I handed her another dress.

"Go ahead and try them on. I'm starving for some greasy New York style pizza."

"You just had pancakes."

"But that was breakfast. Now I want lunch."

Reyna rolled her eyes, and she put on her best intimidation face to one of the women working in the shop to help her into her dress. And, as always, those black eyes coaxed one woman into giving her the special treatment.

I rolled my eyes as I sat down in one of the waiting rooms, and I reached for the magazine while I knew Reyna couldn't tease me about letting that stuff get to me.

I flipped past the _Who Wore it Better_? and something about how stars are just like us and also take their kids out for ice cream (seriously? Who cares?), and I came to the major story that US Weekly was the first to carry.

The first thing I saw was a photo of Henry, shouldering his duffle and hiding behind his aviators in LAX.

_Henry Alexander always said he wanted to go to NYC to get a real feel of the city. But this trip to the East Coast wasn't for Broadway or amazing pizza._

I scanned through the article, looking at photos on the page of Henry in New York while going to plays or amazing restaurants he loved.

On the next page, my eyes widened.

The first photo caught and kept my attention.

A cute little family got ice cream. The son had messy black hair and a dirty soccer uniform, his bright green book bag at his feet as he licked a chocolate ice cream. The father had his arm wrapped around the mom, kissing the side of her head. And she proudly showed off an engagement ring and, if you looked really closely, a pregnancy bump under that green tee shirt.

_Oh. My. Gods._

I could have killed Henry.

When he split, he got the reporters. I got a new life in New York.

And he had to go and combine them.

My eyes flew to the end of the article.

"_Annabeth is happy," Henry told our reporters, "And I'm happy for her."_

_When asked if Henry Alexander could ever see a future with Annabeth Chase, he was clear about that as well._

"_We honestly weren't right for each other. Right now, my career is my life. And she's looking for something more. In the end, Percy could give her something that I couldn't," Henry shrugged, "One day, I hope to find her happiness."_

_So this seems to be the end for Henry Alexander and Annabeth Chase._

_Even more, there are rumors that Annabeth Chase is soon to be Annabeth Jackson. Annabeth Chase has not confirmed this, but the engagement ring says it all._

I closed the magazine, and I stared blankly at a random dress.

It was honestly over.

This magazine had made it clear that they had chosen Henry as the underdog and the likeable one. I was the one who up and left only a few months before the wedding and then started dating my ex, suddenly wearing an engagement ring a month later. When they find out about my pregnancy, I would become an official married mother of two who went to soccer games instead of the sexy brilliant business woman I was before. They would lose interest.

And that was what I wanted.

_Henry came through,_ I smiled to myself.

"What is Piper wearing?" Reyna asked as she came out in a flattering, simple grey dress.

"Can you stop with that already? It's been over ten years, Reyna. Give up," I reclined into my chair, and Reyna shrugged.

I couldn't decide if it was sad or funny.

"You know, I think you guys would be friends if you two could just forgive and forget."

"Romans don't forgive. And they definitely never forget."

"Well act a little Greek. We're fun."

Reyna let out a small smile and moved to where I could better see the dress.

"Do you approve?"

"You look great, Reyna. You can go ahead and buy it while I go grab another hot chocolate. Then we're off to get pizza."

"Italian food is amazing. Why do you people focus on pizza?" Reyna crossed her arms, taking her Latin sensibilities a little too far at times.

"You've never had New York pizza."

"You sound just like Percy."

"I take that as a compliment since you _did_ hit on him."

Reyna turned bright red and tried to justify herself.

"Hey! I was under so much stress, I almost hit on _Dakota_ once! Not that that Percy isn't a catch, he is…" Reyna got flustered, and I smiled as I watched her. Finally, she stopped and rolled her eyes at me, "How do you do that to me?"

"I'd blame it being on the baby being hungry."

"Okay, okay. We will get pizza."

_**I know it took me forever.**_

_**School just started. I kind of possibly just maybe have a… fine, I have a crush on a guy named George. My old school lost my immunization records, so I'm not an official student yet. And I can't get my E-Pad where most of my books are until I am an official student. Oh and I am writing a new story. It's one-shots really starting from when Annabeth Chase found out she was pregnant to whatever. I was thinking about naming it, "Parenthood" but I'm not sure.**_

_**Oh, and we were buying a house. But then things got screwed up. So now we're building again, and my mom can't make up her mind on a house plan, but we need to get out of the rental house because we think there is mold on top of all of the other problems with this house, and my dad's asthma is acting up.**_

_**I just need to take a nap.**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Percy,**_

Our year passed by in a blur.

I somehow managed to live through Thanksgiving despite the fact that Annabeth's brothers were plotting how to kill me and get off after finding out I knocked their sister up, even if they never had been close. Annabeth and I had a few more ultrasounds, and she cried at every single one. Our fridge was now covered with drawings, Noah's last progress report, which was amazing thanks to Annabeth tutoring him, and pictures of our soon-to-be born child.

Planning the wedding continued on, but I never really thought about it until the day after Christmas.

Noah was sitting beside me on the couch, his head resting on my shoulder as Annabeth curled up around me, and we kept watching _Finding Nemo_, which made Annabeth cry at the end. But, before she started crying about how horrible it would be to lose your child, Noah looked up at us and asked how long it was until the wedding.

Annabeth had nonchalantly smiled as she told him that it was only three weeks.

And now here we were.

One week before the wedding.

I had class tomorrow morning, and Annabeth was driving up to the beach we were getting married at with Rachel. So we put Noah to bed early, and Annabeth turned on the heater to keep us from freezing before crawling into bed beside me.

When the first snow flurry fell from the sky, Annabeth had curled up around me and smiled. Now that the snow was going crazy, she was covered in sweaters and blowing up the heating bill.

"I love you," I kissed the top of her head, and she smiled as she covered herself up in the blankets.

"I love you, too, Seaweed Brain," she got closer to me, her face inches from mine.

"Cold?"

"I don't get it. I've been burning up for the last three weeks. Now I'm freezing."

"Blame the baby."

"Nah, I can just blame you," Annabeth kissed my nose, and she rested her head on my chest, wrapping her leg around mine.

"What time are you getting up?"

"Same as you," Annabeth pushed her hair behind her ear, closing her eyes drowsily, "You know Rachel. She'll show up and breathe down my neck until I'm finally in the car."

"Just another week." I smiled, "And we will be in a cabin in the middle of the snow without adorable but demanding sons. Or best friends who don't understand the idea of couples wanting time together. Or moms showing up crying about the fact that their son is getting married."

My mom had been on this kick for the last week.

She and Annabeth had been crying enough to equal the Hudson.

The last time she had come over, she started bawling about how she still remembered the first time she met Annabeth and how she never would have guessed that she would become her daughter-in-law and the mother of one of her grandchildren.

Noah and I quickly learned to make up random excuses to get out of the house after seeing that Annabeth and my mom were in the same room.

"Or blackberries," I finished, nudging her.

"Actually, the blackberry has been gone. You _'accidentally'_ threw it in the bathtub."

"I accidentally do a lot of stuff."

"Yes," she laughed at me, "You _do_."

"Like the time I accidentally put my algebra homework in Mrs. O'Leary's food."

"Right before the big test," Annabeth cut in.

"Or when I almost cut off Clarisse's head."

"When she wasn't the one you were going against in the arena."

"Or when I accidentally put a piranha in Malcolm's clothes."

"He's still not over that."

"I _accidentally_ did it," I cocked a smile.

"Yeah, and I'm the Easter Bunny."

"Nice to meet you, Easter Bunny."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at me like a four year old, and I laughed.

She suddenly jumped and stared at her stomach.

"What?"

No answer.

Just more stares at her stomach.

"Annabeth, this isn't funny."

Annabeth was beginning to scare me, but then she finally moved.

Still staring, she got a bubbly smile, and she took my hand to rest on her stomach.

"Wha-?"

I stopped and stared.

Annabeth's pregnancy _had_ progressed, though I never dared tell her that.

Before, you couldn't honestly tell. Annabeth was smaller than most pregnant women at her stage, and the only noticeable difference was going from a C-cup to a D-cup, though Annabeth called me a pig every time I said something about that

But there was a bump now, and she was already into her second trimester.

She could still hide her stomach in the wrap tops and loose blazers she wore every day to work, though almost the entire office was able to tell anyway.

"She's kicking," Annabeth laughed, and I felt it as it kicked again, "The baby kicked. Its first kick!"

"Oh my gods," I felt another kick, and Annabeth couldn't stop laughing, her eyes watering with joy.

"It's-it's," Annabeth laughed, "Early! Dana didn't feel Sam kick until _five_ months. And our little baby kicked me four months in."

Annabeth smiled proudly like some of the mom's I met during teacher's conferences, bragging on their children to each other about how "Martha is amazing in Ballet! They bumped her up to the top level!" or "My son, Nick, is brilliant. They wanted to take him to high school already, but we wanted to wait."

I began to smile like a maniac, too.

I hadn't been there when Noah first kicked JoJo. I only heard about it when I went with JoJo to one of those pregnancy classes for working through the pain of a natural birth, an idea that JoJo ditched with the first contraction. Like she liked to pretend with each of her different groups, she was the devoted soon-to-be single mother. For nine months, she didn't dye her hair (but used bottles after bottles of sun-in to seem slightly blonde). She did all the pregnancy things that were all the rage at the time, and she talked about her pregnancy to all the other girls in the class. I overheard her talking about waking up to the baby kicking, and she let me feel the baby kick.

Then she was off to get not-so-secret coffee and to slide black into her platform heels, back to being the super-hip woman she loved being.

"Their grandmother is Athena."

Annabeth laughed again, her smile wider than I was pretty sure I had ever seen.

Then she wrapped her hand around mine.

"Thank you."

"You're forgiving me?"

She laughed, and she curled up beside me.

"We should probably start talking about names, you know."

"If it is a boy, how about Luke?"

"Or maybe Lucia?" Annabeth spread her hand over her stomach, and I rolled my eyes, kissing her golden curls.

"Maybe Lucia."

"I'll miss you," Annabeth pouted.

"Its three days. Then Noah and I are on to the beach with you," I laughed at her.

"Yeah, and I'm in a rental house with my bridesmaids."

"That oughta be fun."

"By the way, Noah is staying with you."

"What?"

"I've heard the stories of Jason's bachelor party. I trust you and everything, but Leo leading a party and calling it, _The Last Night of Freedom_? Sorry, Baby, but you are making cereal and making sure he gets to bed early."

I stared at her.

"Besides, Leo's kid is staying with you, too."

"Why do we get all the kids? Your group has _two_ pregnant women!"

"Exactly."

I knit my eyebrows in confusion, and Annabeth shrugged.

She kissed me and smiled.

"Good night."

She slid under the covers, using my chest as a pillow, and I took the sign that she didn't want me to talk.

_**Annabeth,**_

Morning sickness.

I _hate _morning sickness.

I got my first taste of it during week ten.

As the clock flicked to four AM, I was sleeping soundly until suddenly I woke up and felt like I was going to throw up everything I had eaten in my entire life. After brushing my teeth three times and throwing away my tooth brush, I borrowed some of Percy's super-strength mouthwash, and I tucked myself back into bed.

That cycle continued until I finally had to buy my own bottle and multiple packs of throw-away toothbrushes.

While still there, it had gotten better.

I usually only woke up once a week or less with morning sickness instead of every morning, and I had gone three weeks without it now when I woke up at five in the morning.

Our rental house had three bedrooms, and we all had ample room to move around. But, feeling lovey-dovey from the wedding (or the pregnancy hormones of two of the women), we all crowded into the living room for a Jane Austin marathon.

By the time Sense and Sensibilities came on, we were all passed out from Rachel working us so hard.

Reyna and Piper were playing nice, but they still kept their distance. And they stayed far away from the topic of Jason. Hazel told us about her trip to Canada with Frank not long ago. Thalia told us about the Huntresses, and Dana laughed about her two adorable children.

Now, half of my bridesmaids were passed out on the floor, in the way of the bathroom.

After stepping on Thalia's hair, almost falling over Hazel, and kicking Rachel to stop snoring, I finally made it to the bathroom, and I spent the next hour brushing out my teeth.

This was just the _start_ to my morning.

Next, we had a crisis because Juniper's dress did not fit.

So Piper and Hazel went with Juniper to help her with the dress problem.

Then the cake topper was messed up.

I had to spend an hour with Rachel driving to the cake place, where she yelled at someone for an hour and stormed out for me to handle this with a newly pissed off woman who had only been sweet before.

I didn't speak to Rachel on the way back, and I missed lunch, getting only a brownie before being yanked off to handle something else.

My wedding was in three days, and there was no time for jitters.

I just wanted this day to be over, a wedding band to be on my finger, and the cell phones to be turned off as we curled up in the winter cabin by the beach.

When things were making me about to explode, someone knocked on the door while I was finishing a seating chart.

My father had gotten the early flight to come and see his baby girl.

I was excited to see him, and I started crying. My dad and I, bundled up in sweaters, went down to the beach, and we started talking. By the end of our conversation, I was crying and hugging my daddy like a seven year old needing to be rocked back to sleep after a bad nightmare.

We went back to the house later, and the sweet bonding moment disappeared and was replaced by being wedding-busy.

Finally, the day seemed to _finally_ end.

I stood out by the deck, and I stared at the moon, wrapped up in a floppy sweater and dorky red and white sweater.

Back inside the house, the girls were all making little party favors that Rachel was leading, and they were all probably muttering the new nickname for Rachel, "Hail Dictator Rachel."

But I needed space, and I needed air.

"Why didn't we just run to the courthouse?" I muttered.

"Because you didn't want to."

I jumped and spun around to see that it really was him.

Percy's hair was jet black like the night sky. His eyes were the perfect sea green I had always adored, and he was wearing his black North Face to block the cold night. His smile was wide and that suspicious grin that always made me wonder what he was thinking and if I really wanted to know, and I suddenly realized that, while he may be a dad and grown-up, he was still that mischievous twelve year old I fell in love with.

"What are you doing here?"

He smirked with a shrug.

"I haven't heard you talking about Dictator Rachel. I wanted to check on you. How was your day?"

It was like word vomit.

I couldn't help but tell him everything that happened.

By the end of the day, his arms were wrapped around me, and I was about to have a break down.

"How about we run to City Hall and end this all?" Percy kissed the side of my head.

"You have no idea how much I want to take that," I looked out to the ocean crashing onto the shore in the cool night.

"Focus on this," Percy laced his fingers through mine, and he placed our two hands together on my abdomen. And, just as I was beginning to see, our baby was a Daddy's Girl, and she kicked for Percy.

I smiled to myself, or the baby inside of me.

"How about Cassie? For Castellan?" Percy kissed my cheek, and I smiled even wider.

"Are you admitting that we're having a daughter?"

"No, but we already agreed on a boy name. Lucas Charles Jackson."

"Woah, I thought it was Lucas _Chase_ Jackson."

"Well what about Beckendorf?"

"That's Leo's son's name!"

"Yeah, _Beckendorf_. Not _Charlie._"

I rolled my eyes, and I silently told the baby that I was right.

I also added something that they should already know that I was right and accept it later on, especially when they were a teenager, but I had a feeling a baby wasn't listening to that part.

"I have to get back to Noah," Percy told me, kissing my neck gently, and my face fell.

"You do?"

"Calm down. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Love you."

He turned me around and pushed my hair out of my eyes.

"We just have to get through these three days."

I nodded and let out a small smile, kissing him.

"Then Dictator Rachel is off to boss everyone else around."

He laughed.

"Call me tonight, okay? If you call, I get out of watching Frank and Noah fighting over soccer games," he kissed my nose, and I let out a weak wave as I watched as him sneak off the deck so that Rachel wouldn't remind him that we weren't supposed to see each other until the rehearsal dinner.

I was smiling to myself when I noticed a certain girl smiling by the door.

"What is it with you two sneaking off together?"

I smiled at Hazel, who was as adorable as ever.

She was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. She had been a cute thirteen year old, definitely _cute_. But she had grown to be beautiful. But she was still sweet as sugar underneath.

"You guys didn't think I was kidnapped this time, right?"

"Nah, Rachel's gone to pick up food, and everyone else is drinking. I'm not sure they notice you're gone."

"Wow, I feel the big bridal importance."

"Come on, we need the pregnant girl to remind us to not drink so much."

"You all make me feel so loved."

Hazel laughed, her arm around my shoulder, and we started into the rental house.

* * *

_**Okay, not my best, but I really wanted to post this soon.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Percy,**_

Noah's grandparents.

His grandmother was beautiful. She had dark brown hair that was still curly in her older age but had been cropped when her daughter Amy had a child, Wesley, who spent all of his time with his grandmother. She was like a grandmother you saw in those movies who adds in some advice to the star while making cookies.

His grandfather was a proud sort of man but not in a bad way. He loved all four of his grandchildren just as much as he loved all three of his children, and he still had that happy glint in his eyes that he had in the pictures of his wedding.

Noah had been so excited to tell his grandparents about Annabeth when he was with them for Thanksgiving. He told them about how she was beautiful and smart and how much his daddy loved her. Then he told them the news that they were getting married and that he was getting a new little sister though "Daddy says it may not be a girl, but Annabeth is sure that it will be."

I loved his grandparents, and I had invited them to spend some time with Noah.

Now here they stood.

From their small town in California where it stayed a comfortable seventy five degrees almost all year around, the cold in New York had shocked them. So they had gone out to buy warmer clothes.

They had been pleasantly surprised when they got the wedding and it was strangely comfortable.

I decided not to tell them that the goddess Hestia had given us the wedding present of warmth in the winter air without melting away the beautiful snow. It was better just to shrug and say, "Weird, huh?"

My groomsmen were being worked almost to death by Dictator Rachel, and JoJo's parents had gotten me out of working. So, I was more than happy to look at baby pictures of Amy's second child, Emily-Rose.

Before JoJo's mother could flip to the picture on her cell phone of Jim's new son, Stanley, her lips spread to a smile, and she waved someone over.

"Noah! Don't you look so handsome!"

Noah hurried over to us from the direction of Annabeth's dressing room, and I knew something had gone wrong.

When he got to us, his grandmother planted a big kiss on his cheek, leaving a pale pink imprint on his skin, and his grandfather ruffled his dark black hair and said something typical about how much he had grown and how old he was getting.

But Noah's eyes stayed glued to me.

"What are you doing here, Noah?" I asked, trying not to moan.

The wedding hadn't gone _smoothly _per say, but I guess that was expected given our short time to get ready for it.

"Aunt Rachel wants to see you."

Oh great.

I forced myself to smile at Noah's grandparents.

"I'll be right back. Noah, why don't you introduce your grandparents to Sam? Or maybe Kate?"

Noah nodded, and he took his grandmother's hand as he lead them off to where Sam was playing Angry Birds on his father's cell phone.

I worked my way through the lighthouse to where Rachel was looking out to the actual place where the wedding was taking place, outside in the snow. It wasn't cold, so she was wearing her grey bridesmaid dress as she looked out to the wedding set up.

Her green eyes seemed to apologize when she saw me, and she crossed her arms.

"Remember how you calmed down Annabeth the other day?" she asked hopefully, and I nodded.

Rachel had been very determined that we weren't breaking tradition of not being able to see each other until the wedding today, so I wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Well, screw the rules. You have to handle this."

She pointed towards the door that had become the bridal suite, and I raised my eyebrows.

"What's going on?"

"Just go see. No one is in there but her."

I stared at Rachel for a long time, and she pointed towards the door again to hurry me along.

This time, it worked.

I quietly opened the door, and I shut it behind me just as quiet.

The room was empty mostly.

A make-up area had been set up , and there were three racks. Two had grey dresses of all different styles and shapes that somehow managed to stay slightly similar, and the last had a white dress hanging up. A table held bouquets, one with Annabeth's old Camp Half-Blood necklace wrapped around the stems for good luck. There were shoes everywhere, heels mostly but flats here and there. And I think there was a curler still on.

But my eyes went straight to the white couch in the corner, where a girl was hugging her knees in a silky grey robe.

Golden curls spilled around her, held out of her eyes with an owl shaped diamond clip. Her back was to me, staring out of the window to the snow blanketing the ground in a thin layer.

"Annabeth?"

The girl turned around of shock, but she seemed to regret it. And I could see why immediately.

She looked beautiful. The most beautiful I had ever seen her as. Her skin was glowing from the pregnancy, and her make-up was natural with a small hint of red to her lips. And any imperfection that had ever been there before seemed to melt away.

But her grey eyes were red, and even a Seaweed Brain like me could tell she had been crying.

"W-What are you doing here?"

"Rachel sent me," I got closer to her, "Why are you crying?"

She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't.

"It _shows_."

I stared at her, and she buried her face in her knees again.

"What shows?"

"The baby!" she screamed as if it should have been obvious, "In the dress! I look _fat_ on my _wedding day!_"

Annabeth began to sob, and I wasn't exactly sure how to handle this.

"What?"

"I look fat! You can see my stomach!"

I tried not to laugh as I wrapped my arms round her, and she began to cry into my jacket.

"Annabeth, you are_ not_ fat."

"I'm pregnant! I'm disgusting, Percy! I snore! I eat _all_ the time! I smell-"

"You smell like popcorn and peaches. How is that bad?"

She didn't listen.

"And I am_ fat!_"

She cried more, and I stroked her hair.

"You are not fat, Annabeth."

"I'm four months pregnant. I know I'm not fat, you don't have to lie to me."

"I'm _not_ lying. You are beautiful. More than you have ever been. I mean, so what your stomach is growing a little bit?"

"A little bit?" Annabeth raised her eyebrows at me as if silently asking if I was insane, but I could tell she was feeling better.

I brushed her hair out of her eyes, and I looked down at her.

"What are you really upset about here? You've never cared what anyone thought, sometimes not even me."

She hesitated.

"I will never be like that again."

"Be like what?"

"Hot like that. I'll never have the perfectly flat stomach or toned legs or even clear skin without stretch marks. Percy, my _teeth _won't even be the same."

"Is this what has had you so worried the entire time?"

She nodded.

"Percy, you may not realize it, but you are used to hot women. And I may never be hot again. There is a more likely chance that I will always have some sort of baby weight."

"Annabeth, you are always going to be beautiful. And, even if you weren't, I'm not marrying you because of that."

She stared, and I took that as my sign to keep going.

"I am completely in love with you, and, if you don't want to wear that dress or if you just don't want any of this, let's bail before Rachel notices and go to City Hall."

Annabeth hugged me and kissed my cheek.

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Now get out. I have to get ready."

I kissed the top of her head and nodded, standing up to go tell Rachel and be her hero for a few seconds before she ran off to get everything ready again.

Before I was completely out, she stopped me.

"Thanks, Perce."

Her smile was wide, and it made me grin , too.

"See you soon."

_**Annabeth,**_

_Oh._

_My._

_Gods._

It was the only thought I could register as I stared at myself in the mirror.

It wasn't that I looked beautiful, which even I had to admit that I did. It wasn't that my stomach was slightly showing in my dress. It wasn't that someone had actually managed my hair. It wasn't that the baby was kicking me even.

It was all of _this_.

There was nothing to handle. No one to yell at. No family members to cry with. No bridesmaids fighting.

Nothing.

It was utter silence.

Everything continued around me. My bridesmaids were feeling Juniper's stomach as the baby delivered another kick, and Dana was kissing her daughter goodbye before she went to get ready to be the flower girl. Sally even cried a little as she looked at me.

But I could only hear my own thoughts.

I could only see my reflection.

This was happening.

A moment that every little girl dreams of was here.

If I closed my eyes, I could still see that moment when I first saw my little Seaweed Brain. I could still see the day where I suddenly realized how much I was in love with him. If I touched my lips, I could still feel the tingle from our first kiss. And I could still feel his arms wrapped around me as we were in the depths of Tartus.

How did I get here?

Standing in a wedding dress as white as the snow outside. Feeling a baby inside of me and knowing it shared half of my DNA and Percy's. And looking at my engagement ring and knowing that it is about to be replaced by a wedding band.

My body couldn't decide if it should be scared or be excited. So, as panic built up, butterflies wreak havoc on my stomach.

"You know, I keep thinking that I will wipe my glasses and you'll be seven playing bride."

I looked beside me to see my father.

He was just as handsome as he had been in college when he met and fell in love with my mother.

He was still in love with her. I still wasn't sure what he saw in my step mother, but I guess she was there. And she loved him and could be with him, unlike Athena. She was his Henry, I suppose, but he never got an AB to smack some sense into him.

I still didn't like my step-mother, but I had made nice with my annoying little brothers for my dad's sake.

"I would have done things differently. I wish I had," my father brushed my hair out of my eyes, and I smiled weakly.

"Things happen for a reason."

"You sound so much like your mother when you say that," my father smiled, and my smile spread, trying my hardest not to cry.

My father wiped his eye, and he smiled at me.

"So, how do you feel? Nervous?"

I shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know. I just feel weird. Like I should wake up now or something."

My father smiled and nodded.

"I was nervous before my wedding."

I let out a nervous smile, and my father nodded with a small smile as he reached in his pocket for a small box.

"When you were three years old, your mother used to come around you know. Before the first monster attack and she had to leave for your safety. But, before she had to leave, she gave me this. She told me to give it to you when you were older," he brushed his finger over the name on the box, _Annabeth_, "I guess I've just been selfish. And I haven't thought about it for so long."

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

He flipped open the box, and I gasped at a beautiful small diamond owl necklace.

It was small and simple, and maybe it was just that it was a gift from my mother.

But it was so beautiful…

"Do you want to wear it?"

I nodded, doing my best not to cry and ruin my make-up, but the pregnancy hormones weren't helping me.

I pulled up my hair, and the cool silver made me shiver as it touched my skin. My father did his best not to cry as he put the necklace on me, but a stray tear slid down his cheek.

My smile was big and wide as I held on to the necklace, and I felt like my mother was here.

She was here earlier but not for long. An urgent call from Olympus had taken her away for a moment, and my father came in.

"You look beautiful, Annabeth," my father's eyes watered again, and I took a nice note that I wasn't the only emotional one today.

"Thanks, Dad," I wrapped my arms around him tightly in a hug, shocking him, but it didn't take long before he hugged me back.

He kissed the side of my head before we separated, and Rachel looked at me with a small smile.

"Ready, Annie?"

I looked to myself in the mirror as if asking myself, and I nodded.

"I'm ready."

_**The wedding will come soon! I promise.**_


	34. The Wedding

_**The Wedding**_

_**No One's POV,**_

The day was beautiful.

The snow gently fell and blanketed the ground like a thin sheet of lace. The thin white veil with the tent held heat in and kept the snow out, being able to see through it perfectly though. The lighthouse looked beautiful in the grey sky, and the ocean beat on the shore for the son of Poseidon in support.

You could feel a godly presence there.

From Aphrodite's make-up tips for the bride to the heat given by Hestia.

It felt like something from a movie, and it was a movie that would have made Aphrodite cry.

Actually, she already was crying in the heavens, and, through the sobs, you could hear bits and pieces of what she was saying.

"Aren't they so cute!"

"… story begins at tragedy and ends in happiness!"

And so on.

But most of the gods stared at the wedding instead of the crying goddess.

Percy stood nervously at the end of the aisle, his heart beating so loud he was worried everyone could hear it.

_What if she says no?_ he worried, _What if she leaves me too? What if this is too soon?_

Percy had been so busy helping Annabeth through her nerves that he hadn't had time to worry. And now it was hitting him hard, like a violent wave crashing onto the shore. Like his old fear, he worried of suffocation from it. He worried that it would crush him under the unbearable weight.

And then the music began.

The white curtains, the only spot of the tent where you couldn't see through, parted, and the bridal procession began.

Percy's fear stopped being an ache to a combination of paralyzing panic and bubbly anticipation.

His smile widened as he watched Kate and Noah walk down the aisle, both smiling their young innocent smile, and something about seeing them gave him newfound confidence.

Everyone awed at the two children, and they all looked to the rest of the procession.

They were all an odd group. The crazy redhead being walked down the aisle by another redhead hiding horns. A blonde god-like man walking down the aisle with his intimidating rocker sixteen-year-old looking sister. A gorgeous Cherokee woman getting walked down the aisle by a handsome Latino with a devilish smile. The beautiful woman with warm skin and chocolate brown eyes being walked down the aisle by a buff Asian. And an intimidating warrior walking down the aisle with the lanky prince of the Underworld. But the green pregnant girl took most of the attention.

Everyone stood, and Percy's heart skipped a beat.

Behind the curtain, Annabeth could feel rising fear taking over her body. Her knees bulked, and she felt paralyzed.

_How could I think I could get married? What will Hera do to me? I can't lose Percy_, Annabeth could barely breathe.

Then the curtain pulled back, and her breath was taken away.

Percy's jaw dropped, and he almost cried.

_She is so beautiful…_ he smiled to himself.

At the sight of his mischievous grin, her fear melted away, and she found herself moving. Walking towards him. She could barely tell though.

Annabeth didn't notice the beauty of the day. She didn't see the snow flurries gently floating to the ground like pebbles settling to the bottom of a peaceful lake. She didn't see the funny group or the lighthouse. Or the peaceful white and grey everywhere.

She could only see him.

Those beautiful sea green eyes.

They stopped, and the priest, Apollo himself, smiled.

He had wanted a role in the wedding, and Annabeth had planned on letting him have a small speech at the reception. But, when the priest fell through, he jumped in before she could do anything about it.

Now, she didn't care as long as he did it legally.

Annabeth gave him one of those death glares, and he moaned and did what he was supposed to.

As Annabeth's father let a tear fall and kissed her cheek as he pulled back her veil, Aphrodite's tears to wipe away with a cute pink handkerchief became unattractive sob as she chewed on Bon-Bons.

Annabeth turned back to Percy, and she had never felt so bubbly. She had known she loved him since she was sixteen year old, and they had been through everything together. But she had never felt anything like this.

She felt like she might just even pass out, and she had to tear her eyes away from Percy to Apollo.

As the ceremony continued, Percy just kept smiling at Annabeth.

The vows were beautiful. They made Aphrodite sob harder, Sally cry, and Sam stare like his was all something he was watching in some movie about alien's different cultures. Kate smiled at Noh, silently taking credit for their relationship, and even Noah had to admit it was sweet.

Then it reached the questions.

The thought had been making Annabeth and Percy both sick for weeks now, and they felt a horrible ache in their stomachs as the anticipation entwined itself with Apollo's voice as he spoke.

"Does anyone have a reason why this man and this woman should not be joined in matrimony?"

Annabeth half expected one of the many girls who had fallen in love with Percy to jump up and ruin the perfect moment. She almost expected JoJo to stand and demand that he come back to her for the sake of their son. But, if she was to get anything from JoJo, she worried mostly that her cell phone would go off to some rap ringtone with a few choice words.

Percy balled his fist as he prepared himself for Henry to stand and break this up, but it never came.

_Silence._

Annabeth felt a smile spread, and she looked to Percy.

And even Percy had to admit defeat and let this moment be perfect.

Apollo looked to Percy.

"Perseus, do you take this woman to be your lawful wife?"

Something bubbled inside of him, and he smiled.

"I do."

Even Apollo had to admit this warmed his hook-up craving heart, and he began to wonder what would be like to have his own wedding. Of course he would have to be the star of the wedding, but that wouldn't be hard for him, right?

He did like the beautiful words.

Of course, he would add in, "I am so cool" but that was his trademark!

While Apollo thought of himself, everyone else was beginning to swoon.

"Annabeth, do you take this man to be your lawful husband?"

"I do," she nodded, unable to see anyone other than Percy now.

Everyone felt like they might burst out into sobs and a fit of chocolate-eating like Aphrodite with what Apollo said next.

"I therefore pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

_**The Reception**_

None of the guests asked why it was perfectly comfortable even though there was snow on the ground around them, especially since the reception was _outside._

But most of them were too busy crying about how sweet the wedding had been to think about that.

The reception was beautiful though.

The waves seemed to be perfect just for the wedding couple, and they probably were given the father of the groom. The sun shone out through the grey skyline, and the band played Frank Sinatra loud enough to hear but not too loud. The flowers were white roses with grey ribbon, and everything was perfectly white.

People bustled around, too.

Some went to eat some of the to-die-for food (thank you Demeter), and others went to dance to the band. Some talked and talked about how the newly married couple deserved this happiness more than anyone else they knew. But everyone wanted to talk to Percy and Annabeth.

They didn't get much time with each other before they were torn apart.

They both enjoyed the party, but they also noticed the distance between them.

_I just have to do this. Then I can be with him for the rest of the night,_ Annabeth reminded herself, and Percy told himself the same thing.

Eventually, they did cave into the amazing gala.

Percy and his groomsmen laughed together, and Annabeth somehow found herself singing to the top of her lungs to _Stay Young _by We the Kings while Thalia took over the DJ booth for a while, she and her bridesmaids dancing like little kids.

She couldn't remember having this much fun in who-knows-when.

And the little kids had fun, too.

Noah, Sam, Kate, and Beckendorf (known as Beck) ran around the party in a widespread game of tag.

Even Rachel found herself throwing her uncomfortable grey heels into the ocean and maybe having a little too much Champaign in celebration.

And everyone had to stop and stare as Piper and Reyna ended up dancing together to Taylor Swift's _State of Grace_, declaring a short-lived truce for the sake of tonight.

The wedding raged on.

They cut the cake, had the embarrassing toasts, and more and more people cried.

And, as the music turned up to show the party of the night, Annabeth and Percy got separated again. They had spent an hour laughing and clumsily and terribly dancing. But her father cut in, and eventually Dana and Thalia cut in, too.

Somehow, Annabeth ended up sitting on the edge of the party, her expensive heels having been thrown into the ocean long ago, and talking with Dana as Noah and Kate played together.

Before now, Annabeth had never realized how much Kate was like her and Noah like his father.

But she saw it now, and she eventually wondered what kind of adventures they would go on together. She knew that Noah probably wouldn't tell her about all of them so he wouldn't worry her, and she accepted that up front.

Annabeth prayed that, one day, they might get their happily ever after, too.

She wanted both of them to feel this amazing victory, this bubbly love that couldn't be controlled. No matter who they wore, everyone deserved to feel like this…

As Dana was whisked off to the dance floor with her husband, Annabeth smiled at the two of them, and she reclined into her chair for a moment as the baby delivered a few kicks to her abdomen.

From a far, Percy noticed her, and he smiled to himself as he took out his cell phone.

**To WiseGirl210:**

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**What are you doing, Wise Girl?**

**I am sitting at a wedding surrounded by crying women, dancing partiers, and even Frank trying to dance to **_**We Are Family**_**. I haven't slept in two days, and I barely got a taste of that food delivered by the best cook in the world.**

**But I am the happiest man in the world.**

**Because, across the room, there is this girl, Annabeth Chase.**

**No, Annabeth Jackson now.**

**She is the most beautiful, funniest, and smartest woman in the world. And somehow I tricked her into spending the rest of her life with me. Even weirder, I somehow got her to love a Seaweed Brain like me.**

**I met her when I was twelve years old, and it took me four years to see that she was the best thing that ever happened to me.**

**Love you, Blondie.**

**-AB**

He pressed send, and he watched as his new wife kept smiling at his son until the buzz of her cell phone on the table made her look away.

With the same hand with the wedding band he had just given her, she reached for her smart phone, and she touched the screen a few times before her smile spread.

Her heart warmed as she read through it, and, for the millionth time, she felt the tears coming on.

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WIseGirl210**

**I love you, too, Seaweed Brain.**

He smiled as he read the email, and he got up from his seat to cross the room to the table.

She smiled as she stood, walking away from Kate and Noah, who were both staring now.

"I think I know this song," Percy smiled as they got to each other dead in the middle.

She smiled that he remembered.

It had been playing at the party in Olympus for the two. They had both heard the same instead of how everyone heard something else, but, from that moment on, that had been their song.

"You remember," Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him.

"Of course I do. You make me listen to it all the time."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed.

"Care to dance, Wise Girl?"

"Sure, I already ditched the shoes."

He laughed as they walked towards the dance floor, and she rested her head on his chest as they began the slow dance.

"I love you so much," Annabeth whispered, tears threatening to fall.

"I love you, too."

_**Not my best, but I have never really been good with wedding.**_

_**But there is a lot to handle right now. And so much to tell, but I'm not going into it yet. I will give you a long probably unwanted talk about how everything is now, but, for now, I need to sleep.**_

_**See you soon.**_

… _**Wow that sounded creepy.**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**I've tried to make this story PG, so don't expect a lot here.**_

* * *

_**Annabeth,**_

As my eyes blinked open, they adjusted to the little light in the beach cottage. The sheer curtains in front of the French door and windows were unnecessary in the grey winter morning. On the beach outside, the waves beat and left the air smelling the same salty ocean scent Percy always smelled like.

The bedroom was posh and full of gentle blue and white, just like the rest of the house, and we hadn't seen much outside of it.

Just as our luck would have it, a snow storm hit the small beach town, and we spent the last week walled up in the house ordering pizzas and only answering our cell phones if it was from Noah or Sally, who was watching him.

Today was our last day.

I moaned and turned over in bed to see if Percy was there, but, at the smell of French Toast drifted into the bedroom, a small smile played across my lips.

I got out of bed, and I pulled on a grey sweater, and I didn't even take the time to run a brush through my crazy curls. The baby seemed to take over my body and made a bee-line to the kitchen for the French Toast.

Something bubbly consumed me as I looked to my husband, and I had to smile at myself.

_My husband._

Gods, that felt weird to say.

We had only been married for seven days, and it hadn't really set in yet.

Not even the white gold wedding band on my finger had made it real in my brain. So far, this felt like one of those long weekends at the beach that Percy and I used to go on, pretending to be married sometimes for a good laugh.

I just kept waiting to wake up and see that none of this had happened. That I wasn't four months pregnant. That we weren't married. And that it wasn't January seventeenth.

That we would wake up, and it would be four months ago again. That it would be right after we got together and that we would just be moving in together. That the gods had given us a crazy dream.

I didn't want it to be though.

I wanted this to be real, all of it. Even the problems with Henry. If this was how the story ended, I wanted everything that came in between.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Percy smirked, and he pulled me close to kiss me. I stayed in his arms and watched him make breakfast. There was something calming about his grasp, and there always had been, even when we were twelve years old and he made me insane.

Cooking had never been my specialty, but French Toast, though my favorite, was my worst dish.

I ended up with mushy bread that was burned on one side and covered in egg and milk on the other.

"Do we have to leave?" I pouted like a little kid begging their father not to make them go to school.

But, sadly, Percy had a lot of experience with little kids begging not to do something.

"We have a son to take care of," Percy smiled, and I had to admit that my smile widened, too, at that, "And I have students to teach. You have high-rises to build, and it won't be long before we have to fill out baby registries."

I nodded and pulled myself on to the kitchen island made for families getting together after a long day at the beach, and I reached for a bottle of Prenatal vitamins as Percy finished French Toast. While he was reaching for the syrup, I forced myself not to get upset about not having coffee.

Percy and I ate breakfast by one of the sweeping windows to look at the beautiful beach, and Percy wrapped his arms around me as we began to talk about anything and everything we could talk about in the short time we had before we had to pack.

Percy's Prius was great for the city, I had to admit that. But I still adored my Land Rover. I could fit almost all of Noah's soccer team into the car, and I could pack up everything now with ease. My wedding dress stayed in a bag in the back, and I had Percy load up everything else.

While Percy took a shower, I decided to take a little catnap on the couch. I was so tired. Even though we had spent the last week walled up in our little cottage, there hadn't been one night where we actually slept.

Collapsing into sleep at four in the morning and me not waking up until two (blaming it on a lack of coffee)?

We had that down, but I had no clue how we would get back to a normal schedule.

I was slowly beginning to wake up as Percy turned off the shower, and I began to finger-brush my hair and straighten my sweater so that he couldn't tell I had been asleep. As I was getting up to pack my cell phone charger, Percy ruffled his wet hair and grabbed the last apple.

I still had to stare.

He was thirty years old. He had a son. He was a soccer dad and a middle school teacher.

But he had the same amazing body he did when we were in college, the body that was even better to the god-like way he had been when we were sixteen. There was no grey in his hair, and he was aging better than I ever could hope.

He was showing off that body by walking around in his boxers, his hair still soaking wet.

"You took a nap?"

I self-consciously straightened my grey sweater.

"You can tell."

"You snore."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

"Just because I'm pregnant-"

"You've _always_ snored when you take naps."

"I have not!"

"Don't be so defensive. It's adorable. Like a little kid," Percy kissed my nose like he did when he was putting Noah to sleep in the bed, and he smiled, "Anyway, I drool."

He was trying to get me off the subject of what he had just said.

"Like a little kid?"

He brushed it off, getting on his knees to be at my face.

"You think I snore like a child? A _child_?" I stared at him, and he shrugged, trying to get me to switch subjects, but I was nowhere near that point, "It's _adorable_? _I'm adorable_? Who wants to be _adorable_? _Puppies_ are adorable! I'm-!"

Percy cut me off by pulling my close and kissing me.

My eyes widened, and, as always I'm afraid, I melted into him.

He twisted to be in front of me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and I ran a hand through his wet black hair. Without realizing it, I let out a small whimper as he pulled away, and he put his forehead against mine, a small smile on his perfect lips.

"Maybe those high rises can wait," he pushed my hair back.

"And those students."

"We'll only be a little while later," his breath was hot on my skin, and I still had our foreheads together.

I nodded eagerly without realizing it, and I blushed.

He smiled, taking my hand, and we seemed to almost sprint to the door, locking it as a force of habit.

_**Percy,**_

I balanced Noah on my hip, hugging him tightly as he told me about his first week back at school.

Annabeth and my mom were making sure he had packed everything up from how he had been staying in my old room for the last few days, spending a few days with both sets of Grandparents from California before they got on a plane again.

This was technically JoJo's week.

She took care of him for the first few days and ignored every one of my rules. She let him stay up until eleven and let him miss three hours of school when he overslept. She let him drink coke all night and candy all day, trying to be the fun parent now.

But she had "forgotten" to cancel a meeting in LA for the magazine she worked for getting an interview with the cast of some new young-adult movie.

So , Noah packed up some stuff for a few days and came to stay with his grandmother.

It was sadly a usual occurrence, so much so that my old room had turned into Noah's room away from home. My old clothes had been pushed to the back while the closet held tee shirts and a few pairs of jeans for him, and there were pictures of me and him everywhere, now with a picture of the three of us as our little family.

When my mother and Annabeth talked now, it was no longer about how amazing it was that we were really getting married, but they started comparing pregnancies.

When I had first heard the conversation, I had to stop and stare in the kitchen on our honeymoon, and I could still remember it.

"Oh, I had horrible morning sickness with Percy."

"Mine isn't that bad. But I can't simply cannot handle anything that smells like Jasmine, it makes me sick."

"Really? Because the scent of coffee made me gag!"

"Coffee? Gods, I miss coffee."

"Hey, how is your body changing?"

At that point, I tuned out and quickly made an announcement that I was going to take a shower.

While I had enjoyed my honeymoon, I had missed my little kid, too.

"So any girls you want to mention in this new semester, Shorty?" I asked, ruffling his hair as I picked him his insanely heavy soccer duffle.

"Well, this new girl, Summer, came. But Chris has a crush on her. And I think that Sam might like her if he didn't like Tabitha," Noah began to explain the entire workings of his class's romantic life.

_And I thought my class was bad,_ I shook my head.

"Noah, come say goodbye to your grandmother, Baby," Annabeth called out as she and my mom came back from the spare bedroom with a soccer duffle full of who-knows what.

I put Noah down, and he ran to his grandmother.

I quickly took the hint that Annabeth wanted me to carry the back, and, once I shouldered it, I could understand why.

I was in no way out of shape, but my son's soccer duffle was starting make me think that I was.

_Gods, how does he carry this?_

"Bye, baby boy," my mother kissed the top of Noah's head, and he told her goodbye while Annabeth's smile spread. That seemed to be all she was doing these days, but I didn't dare question it. It wouldn't be long until she would be back on that upset swing again.

"Come on, Shorty. I hear from your grandmother you have math homework," Annabeth told him.

Noah pouted, and he muttered something I was pretty happy I didn't hear.

I let out a small smirk, and I kissed my mother goodbye before following Annabeth as she wrapped her hand around Noah's protectively as they both walked towards the car on the ground level, me struggling to hardest to keep up with the two of them.

It was a relief to put the bag on the sidewalk as I opened the trunk, and Noah was happy to jump in the back of Annabeth's SUV. I wasn't sure what he liked so much about the big car, but he did love it for reasons I couldn't understand.

Annabeth helped me figure out how to put the bag in the back of the car, and I couldn't bite my tongue anymore. I just had to ask her.

"You're in a good mood."

"Yes I am," Annabeth shrugged.

"I am allowed to ask why," I smirked.

Annabeth nodded to the car.

"I get it. You love the SUV!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Not the _car._ Noah, Seaweed Brain."

"Oh."

"It won't be long before he won't hug us or tell us about school. For Hades sake, it won't be long before he is driving himself home from school."

That hit deep.

_Driving himself home,_ I hadn't even thought about that.

I had often looked and my son and treasured what time we had before he would leave me one day and start his own life. I wanted him to. I wanted him to have a little too much fun and make his own mistakes. I wanted him to live his life.

But I also wished I could just press pause for a while. That he could pray pretend a little while longer. That he would beg to stay home from school a few more times. That he would run around in Mickey Mouse pajamas and see me as his idol for just a few more years.

He seemed to grow taller and older every day.

"Gods, one day, I might be the grandmother kissing his son goodbye."

_Oh my gods._

I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Was that necessary?"

She let out a small smile and kissed my cheek.

"Sorry. But imagine if we have a daughter. You'll go crazy."

* * *

_**Time for my big story.**_

_**George.**_

_**Oh my God, George.**_

_**You know that high you get when you have a crush? Well, I had it big time. I was fun, laughing and smiling all the time. And all I could honestly think about was him. Then came the hour-long IMing.**_

_**When he told me about the girl he had been in love with for three years.**_

_**My high crashed, and I suddenly could barely breathe. I felt his horrible emptiness in my stomach, and, as soon as I got rid of it, I would see his face and could barely breathe again. Then I realized that he trusted me, and I was better though still cautious to not get that feeling again. He didn't talk to me at all after that and, suddenly, today, we were fine again. He talked to me for a little while (not as much) and sat by me in English class. And I don't know what to do…**_

_**Oh, and today I started crying in guidance class because I suddenly felt like telling the truth in guidance class when we were supposed to say what had really hurt us in life, and it was like word vomit, telling ten other girls a secret I have only told my parents (and now you I guess). And I told the class of girls that I was so cautious because my best friend Sam hit me when I was younger every day and I didn't tell anyone and how it has been eating at me for years. Now I'm scared of what happens tomorrow. They probably won't say anything because we old told everything about ourselves, but I don't want everything to change…**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**Annabeth,**_

"This almost makes me want another baby."

I looked to my sister-in-law, Dana, and it was hard to remember that this was my baby shower, not the one I went to years ago when she was pregnant with Sam.

I was five months along with our little bundle-of-joy, and it had gotten hard to hide my pregnancy bump. Eventually, I gave up, and I went to… _the store_.

There is nothing like a maternity store to give you a break-down, especially when you are a hormonal pregnant woman. But there is also no comfort like pregnancy jeans with elastic and the wrap dresses that feel like they were tailored to me.

Dana handled my baby shower, and I had to admit that it was adorable.

And I even liked the crème colored top she threw me this morning when she told me my suit was too business and that I needed to have some fun.

_Fun,_ I had thought, _My _outfit_ will not make me have fun at this thing. Noah and Percy? They are going for ice cream and the aquarium with Poseidon. They will have more fun than me._

My mom loved the idea of getting a grandchild, and she already loved our little bun-in-the-oven. But she was not partial to the new wedding band on my finger, even if it _did_ make her grandchild legitimate.

As my mother of course, I _had_ to have her here. And Sally, and Thalia. Reyna and Piper, too. Hazel and Juniper. Dana and a few work friends. Rachel had to come, and even Drew and Clarisse (who strangely had a baby of her own, four year old baby Silena Rodriguez) scored an invite to the baby shower.

After the last hour of cute little games and picking out names (Kate loved the name Zoe and Juniper wanted me to name my child something that she could have all by herself instead of having to share it with someone from our past), I was finally free, and I used the excuse that my phone was ringing to get out.

The truth was that name-picking-out had been hard on me.

All of those memories swarmed around me.

Luke. Zoe. Beckendorf. Silena. And everyone else in between.

It was enough to make me sick for more than just the fact that the baby had made it clear that it did not like the fruity grapefruit drinks that Dana had.

Dana found me, knowing what was wrong with me because she remembered how it had felt to have her first baby shower.

She was a half-blood.

A daughter of Demeter that had been raised by a man who never complained. He never smoked or drank. He was an angel who fell in love with Demeter and thought he had found the one before she showed up one day with a baby in a pink blanket and tears in her golden eyes.

Things weren't that easy for Dana. Her father didn't want to tell her, and he didn't tell her about her mother until she was sixteen. Instead, he kept things a secret. At the birth of her daughter, Demeter gave her a blessing to be protected until she was eighteen. Her father tried his hardest, keeping her in a small town far away from New York City and the reality of the gods.

It wasn't until she was seventeen that she joined us at Camp Half-Blood, but she spent so much time working in the kitchen that Malcolm didn't really meet her until his first day of college when they ran into each other with their boxes and he accidentally picked up one of her boxes of cookbooks.

She didn't know everything like we did or understand all the tears, but she had her share.

Picking out Samuel's name had been a long and horrible process full of me coming home after a day with Dana and needing to hide in Percy's arms to keep from sobbing after being reminded of everyone we had lost.

Finally, it took the nurse staring at all of us with a birth certificate with "_ _ Moore" ready for us to insert his name for us to name him after her father.

If it wasn't for Dana now, I wasn't sure how I would be able to handle all of this.

I had been dreading my baby shower for this very reason, and I began to pray that the next four months would just hurry up so that I could put down a name already.

"Another baby, eh?"

"I said _almost_, Annabeth," she smiled, "Whenever I'm in the baby mood, I can always come visit my niece or nephew and leave when I want sleep. Do you realize that my kids just reached the point where they actually sleep at night? I'm not screwing that up."

I laughed, and I couldn't hold it back.

From everyone, I had gotten a different answer, and Dana was the only one left to ask.

"What is it like?" I blurted out before I could consider stopping myself.

"Kids?" she asked, knowing instantly what I meant.

I nodded, and she shrugged as she looked out to the party, where Kate was spinning around with Hazel. After a while, she looked back to me.

"You already know."

I stared at Dana, who had that "Mother-Knows-Best-Smile" that every mother has at one point or another, most of the time actually.

"Kate and Sam didn't get to choose me. But Noah _chose_ you out of everyone. You're great with him, and I'm sure you'll be great with him or her, too," Dana smiled.

But that smile evaporated following the crash of something glass and the squeak of Kate's voice saying she was sorry. Dana mumbled a few curses in Greek under her breath, and she let out an apologetic smile before running off to her daughter.

I smiled to myself and let myself think it over.

_I can do this,_ this time the voice in my head seemed more resolute, _I really can._

I walked back to the party, and Hazel smiled as she held up a cupcake decorated in pink and blue.

"I think I want a baby now if it comes with the cupcakes," she smiled happily, and I rolled my eyes.

"Gods, did everyone suddenly decide to have a baby?"

"We're at that age," Hazel shrugged, "Well, I'm about seventy plus that age. But basically that age."

"Even Reyna is thinking about having a baby, and Clarisse already had one!"

"Almost two, I bet. Did you see the way she is scarfing down those cupcakes? You can be hungry, and you can be pregnant hungry. It won't be that long before little Silena gets a sibling," Hazel bit into her cupcake as I grabbed one.

"Oh my gods, these are good!" I smiled.

"I know. This table has strawberry," she pointed to the pure pink cupcakes, and her finger moved to blue ones, "These are blueberry. And the mixed blue and pink are a mixture."

"Are you pregnancy hungry?" I raised my eyebrows, and Hazel quickly shook her head.

"Y-You're kidding me, right? I mean, me? Me?" Hazel laughed nervously, and I continued to stare.

She moaned.

"I don't know. I might be. If I am, it's too early to tell."

"He'll be happy," I motioned for her wedding band, and she let out a small smile.

"Now, Annabeth," she scolded me like a little kid, "Don't you tell anyone."

"See? The Mommy-Instincts already kicked in."

"Hey, those look good, too," Hazel went off to the smell of chocolate chip cookies, and I followed right aft her.

_**Percy,**_

"Do you want the instructions?"

"It's a crib. I've put one together before," I told my wife like I knew what I was doing.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, reclining into a white rocking chair. The walls of the baby's room hadn't been painted yet, but the baby shower had given us so much stuff that we decided to go ahead and put some of it together.

Well, Annabeth decided and I put it together.

No, I _tried_ to put it all together.

The black playpen in the corner had been easy, and the cute little toy box was filled with teddy bears and baby toys for when the baby was older. And I had a high chair set up in the kitchen, which I happened to run into every night now when Annabeth woke me up for cravings. Most of the stuff had been what you saw in the movies where you take pictures and laugh and get excited for the birth of your new born child.

Then she handed me the box with the crib.

Suddenly, the easiness evaporated and left me with an impossible-to-put-together crib.

For the last hour, Annabeth had been trying to get me to read the instructions, but now it was just the principle of the thing.

"I'm going to get started on dinner."

I looked away from the crib to Annabeth as she stood.

"I am going to _order_ dinner," Annabeth clarified.

I nodded, and I went back to failing miserably while she went off to the kitchen.

I was beginning to worry that I was about to break the stupid crib and have to endure that look when we would have to get a new one.

My mind began to drift to Annabeth's, _"You-Should-Have-Listened-to-Me"_ look and triumphant smirk.

"Daddy?"

I jumped, hitting myself with a piece of the crib by accident.

Noah stood at the door, staring at me.

He was still in his school uniform after not having to go to soccer practice today due to two months off, and his hands were covered in pen marks from finishing his homework earlier.

_He grew last night,_ I noticed.

Noah seemed to look more and more like me every day, and I could tell he was getting older every day, too. No matter how many times he ran around in his Mickey Mouse pajamas in the morning and watched Spongebob, I couldn't escape that my baby boy was getting older.

Seeing him with Kate made things even more obvious to admit for me.

Kate had always been like Annabeth, and Noah had always been like me. But seeing them yesterday working on homework had basically thrown it into my face. Teasing my son that he would marry Kate and give us some adorable grandchildren had suddenly stopped being such a joke, and I found myself thinking about the real possibility.

"Hey, Noah," I rubbed the back of my head.

"You can look at the instructions."

"Noah, I can do this-"

"She just left to pick up Thai food."

I lunged for the pamphlet Annabeth had been taunting me with for the last hour or so, and Noah laughed at me.

"So why haven't you painted yet?" Noah asked as he sat down on the rocking chair with his adorable goofy grin.

"Well, we still have a while," I happily began making the crib _correctly_, "And we won't know if the baby is a girl or boy. I mean, we don't want to paint the room hot pink and have a boy."

Noah's head perked up.

"I thought you guys were having a girl."

"Well, we might. Annabeth is sure we will. But, you know, you could be getting a little brother in a few months."

I began to grin as the pieces of the crib fit together, and Noah shrank back in the rocking chair.

"Another boy?"

"Yeah, that'd be kind of fun, right?"

Noah looked to the door, and my eyes drifted to him, realizing how down his face was.

He tapped his thigh nervously (a trait of his when he was thinking a lot), and I opened my mouth to say something. But I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to tell him.

I had never been through any of this.

My mom and Paul adopted my little half-sister, Bay, but that was when I was nineteen and she was eleven. I was already out of the house when another kid came around, and it wasn't the baby of my mother's long-lost love who she just married and was crazy about.

I would love Noah just as much as I loved the new baby, and I had told him a million times.

But I began to wonder if he really knew that or not.

Before I could find something to say and comfort him, the front door opened, and I threw the instructions back to where it had been and went back to working on the crib.

Annabeth strolled into the nursery, my ex-office, and she happily held up a bag of Thai food.

"Who's hungry?"

"Yum," Noah stood, painting on a smile, and I smiled as well.

"Sounds great."

* * *

_**Oh.**_

_**My.**_

_**God.**_

_**Kayla pushed me down the bleachers. Well, not really, but she made sure I fell. I was one inch away from hitting my head and breaking my neck, but she laughed and told everyone I was making a scene over nothing because I told the teacher when he asked that I couldn't stand or even touch my ankle. I had to leave school because it hurt my ankle (either a small break or a bad sprain), and she told everyone I fell on my face and even told my mom when she had just gotten the call saying I probably broke my ankle, "Oh, you're her mom? She's making a scene in there."**_

_**There is a lot more to add to explain everything, but, if it wasn't for the fact that we had completely different classes and I couldn't run up to her in my boot, she would **_**so**_** be dead right now. It's not the fact that she's lying about the fact its her fault I got hurt but that she went to everyone saying I was really fine and that it was so funny when I fell on my face and how lame it was that I was about to cry. For God's sake, I have a bad sprain and have to wear a boot for 8 weeks!**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**Annabeth,**_

"Hey, Noah, do you want some help with your homework?" I asked, smiling as I put my blueprints back into my briefcase.

I did have a desk and my own little nook at the edge of the living room that everyone left alone, but it wasn't long before I ended up at the kitchen table. Since we usually used the barstools, I didn't have to share it much, and I could spread all of my work out.

Percy had really used my nook for his work, but we pretended it was still mine and that the table was just a table.

I would just get it over with and accept the switch, but I was too busy worrying about what Malcolm was doing.

As I progressed father and farther into my pregnancy, he slowly lessened my work load, and my other half-brother came in and took care of most of the work I was no longer allowed to. Malcolm tried to make it inconspicuous, but I wasn't stupid.

It had been driving me insane, so insane that I hadn't been able to join in with Percy going crazy as we waited for the big ultrasound.

He brought it up so often that it was amazing that I had forgotten that. He came back telling me that half of the class was torn about whether he was going to have a girl or boy and that it was cute/annoying since they were always doing that when he was trying to teach. And he was talking about names a lot, too.

But Noah's excitement for the baby had suddenly disappeared.

He didn't talk about it much, and he didn't suggest names when we talked about it at dinner anymore. Instead, he just took a big bite of dinner and stirred it around with his fork or took a long sip of his drink. It didn't take much to tell that he was upset.

When Percy told me about what happened with Noah being scared of having another boy, it wasn't exactly _shocking._

"Nah," Noah told me, hurrying to his bedroom while adjusting his heavy green backpack, and Percy smiled at me weakly from the kitchen.

Noah had spent the day with his new friend, Aiden. He was the new student, and Noah was supposed to show him around. While they were friends after all, I could also tell that he also really just wanted to be somewhere else instead of with us right now.

And now he was going into his room.

The door was closed normally, I guess, but it felt like a slam and a slap in the face.

I looked to Percy, who looked up from his laptop on the couch where he was writing an email about someone's latest test to their parents.

"I'll talk to him."

I shook my head.

"No, I think I should do it," I stood, and Percy nodded.

I wasn't sure if it was because he believed I really could do better with this conversation or if he just didn't want to do it.

Making my way to his bedroom, I tried to plan what I would say to him, but nothing came to mind. I kept trying to think of something so much that I ended up staring at his bedroom door, biting my lowerlip.

The sudden pain of biting my lip for too long brought me back, and I hesitantly knocked on his door.

"What is it?"

"I'm a who, Noah, and I want to talk to you."

I could hear Noah grumbled as he stomped over the door.

_You knew this would happen someday,_ I reminded myself, _You couldn't expect to be the idol forever, Annabeth. Kids grow up, and they don't want to talk to you._

But this early?

He was only five!

We were still supposed to be super-star parents for a while…

Noah opened the door, and I expected for him to look like the teenager he was acting like.

But what I saw was a sad little blue-eyed boy crossing his arms.

I could suddenly remember this in my own life.

I remembered sitting in my room, hugging my old favorite toy owl. My mother had given this to me when I was three years old, and my step-mother had often tried to get rid of it since. But I was determined to keep it, no matter what happened. Maybe her telling me to throw it away made me want it even more, or maybe it was just seeing my dad shaking my head at my step-mother and telling her to let me have that doll. Or maybe it was even hearing her ask what was so special about it and my father and I having a secret together. But I liked it, so I kept it.

My step-mother knocked on the door, and I didn't answer. So she knocked again, more forcefully, and I moaned but let her in. She was heavily pregnant with my two little brothers, and I didn't care if she was pregnant with twins. I still thought she was fat, and I had almost told her that once before my dad stopped me.

She sat down on my bad, sitting beside me, and she gave me a long lecture about how it would be alright and how she would still love me when she had the twins, even though they were her own DNA.

By the end of it, I hated her more and I had learned to hate my two half-brothers.

Suddenly, Noah's fears made sense, and I couldn't figure out at all what I should say.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Noah?"

He nodded, and he awkwardly sat down on the bed. I sat beside him, hating this new resemblance I had to my step-mother.

Noah took a deep breath, blowing out a deep sigh.

"I'm scared you'll have a boy because I don't want to be replaced like you were replaced with your brothers. And my mother is horrible! But you're great really great, and Daddy loves you," Noah blurted it out so fast I could barely hear, but his voice got quiet all of a sudden. He choked out the last bit, "What if you and Daddy love the new little boy more than me?"

My eyes watered, and I hugged Noah tightly, kissing the top of his head.

"That could never happen, Noah," I told him, brushing my fingers through his hair as guilt hit me hard.

"You may not mean to, but-but it could happen! You may not even realize it, your dad didn't mean it to happen!"

"Baby, it won't happen!" I kissed the side of his head, "I promise you."

"But-"

"Noah, listen, that happened because my step-mother didn't see me as her daughter. And then she had her own children, and I was that kid. But, Noah, I didn't even think we were having another child. I didn't even think I _could_ get pregnant. I may not be your mom, but," I brushed his hair out of his eyes, "but you are my son."

Noah smiled, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I love you, Annabeth. And you're my mom."

I began to cry, and Noah laughed at me.

"Daddy was right. You _are_ emotional."

I laughed and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"Now, get off your butt. Go do something cute and watch Spongebob or something with your dad. It'll make him feel better."

"And Annabeth is back."

"Love you, too, Shorty."

I ruffled his hair.

_**Percy,**_

"Are you guys excited?" Ansley smiled at the two of us, and Annabeth eagerly nodded, wanting to skip the small talk.

This has been our topic from the day Annabeth found out she was pregnant.

Were we having a Sophia or a Charles?

Everything had been based around this day, this giant thing that would suddenly change today.

Our white walls in the nursery would be painted pink or blue. Either those cute little pink baby dresses or the blue outfits would be returned. That doll house or train set would be sent back to Toys-R-Us, and either Grover and I could try to set our kids up or try to get our daughters to become friends.

Last week, Grover and Juniper found out they were having a daughter.

We had listened to them pick out names this entire time, and it was slowly driving our anticipation up.

By the time they decided between the names Emily-Rose and Daphne (they chose Emily-Rose), I was going insane to find out if I was having another son or my first daughter. And Annabeth was even worse, pacing the floors all the time and trying all those _wife's tale's tricks_.

So far, three of those tricks said she was having a boy. Five said a girl.

She clung to the girl results.

And I wasn't sure which one I wanted.

I had always wanted a daughter, and I had been hoping Noah was a girl when I was sitting at the ultrasound. Though I had loved going through raising a boy, I still thought about what it would be like to drop my daughter off at ballet instead of boy scouts.

But I also don't think I could handle having a daughter.

_Especially_ when she is a teenager!

Suddenly, guilt flooded me for everything Annabeth and I had done when we were teens.

What if some guy did that to my daughter?

"Final bets anyone?" Ansley asked as Annabeth pulled up her shirt to show her growing stomach for the cold blue jelly she said she hated.

"A girl," Annabeth smiled, not even having to think about it.

"And I'm guessing you think it will be a boy?" Ansley smiled at me, and I shrugged.

I honestly wasn't sure.

"As long as it is a perfectly healthy baby, it could be boy or girl."

Both of the women smiled at me, and I let this moment set in.

Everything of this room became imprinted in my brain.

The air smelled of the Jasmine tea Ansley loved so much, and it mingled perfectly with Annabeth's soft floral perfume. Ansley had a picture of her with her own daughter on the little desk area, a cute little blonde toddler with a wide smile. The walls were painted light blue, and the room was empty but not barren except for the ultrasound. Even the city seemed to become quiet for us.

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

What if I couldn't do this?

Yes, I had raised a perfectly fine boy even with a crazy JoJo sharing half of his DNA. But maybe I had just gotten lucky that time. I knew I was blessed with Noah and that he had just been an easy child, but could I handle a child not like him?

Am I too old to chase around a toddler and wake up in the middle of the night?

Every possible problem blinked through my mind in an instant, and I was almost trembling.

As Ansley turned to turn on the machine, Annabeth glanced back at me, and that glowing smile turned into a worried frown.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Annabeth wrapped her hand around mine, and I smiled.

"I'm fine."

She could tell I was lying.

"What's wrong?"

I hesitated, but I knew her.

I wasn't getting away with this…

"I'm just…" I admitted, "_nervous_."

"Nervous? About finding out if the baby is a girl or boy?"

"No, not that. Well, yes. But that's not what I mean," I nervously ran my fingers through my hair, still holding her hand with my other hand.

"Percy, what is it?"

"What if I can't do this?"

She looked at me as if to ask what I was talking about.

"Annabeth, I was young when I had Noah. I didn't have a demanding job, and I had the energy to run after a baby. And, anyway, until he was three, JoJo had him half of the time! I really don't know how to do this."

"Well, neither do I," Annabeth smiled that gentle calming smile she had recently perfected, "We'll learn along the way."

"But… what if it takes too long? We've seen first-hand how bad parenting can screw up a kid. We're the _proof._"

"Well, I'm not sending our child out on crazy quests or ancient prophecies to prove something to the gods, if that is what you mean."

"You know that's not what I mean, Annabeth."

"We're going to be fine, Perseus," Annabeth smiled reassuringly, and I felt some sort of confidence.

"Here is the baby," Ansley's voice brought us back from our conversation.

Our eyes flew to the machine, where there was a small image of a tiny growing baby.

My smile widened, and I lost my breath.

There my little baby was…

I almost started crying, and Annabeth did.

A tear of happiness slid down her cheek, and she laughed happily with a wide smile as she looked at our child.

That small ounce of confidence Annabeth had given me was now consuming me, and I suddenly felt like I could do it. I could raise another baby.

I could get up at two in the morning to change his or her diaper. I could chase the baby around, making sure it was alright as it first learned to crawl or even walk. I could take them to their first day of school and smile, while having a meltdown all day during work. And I might even be able sending them to Camp during the summer.

Ansley moved the device around Annabeth's swollen stomach before stopping, and she took a good look at the baby on the screen before turning to us with a sweet smile.

"Are you sure you want to know the sex of the baby?"

Annabeth nodded like an eager puppy waiting to get a piece of bacon.

"Well then, you better tear up that list of boy's names."

My heart skipped a beat, and Annabeth squeezed my hand.

"You're having a girl."

Out of happiness and excitement, I kissed Annabeth, and she couldn't contain her happiness.

Annabeth smiled and started laughing, telling the baby how she knew she was a girl and how "Daddy was a total Seaweed Brain not to listen to his Wise Girl" and so on.

But I was thinking about other things.

_I'll have a little princess to spoil rotten,_ I smiled_, She'll be just as beautiful as her mother and as smart as her, too. And she'll be funny like me. And one day a Seaweed Brain like her will come around and…_

My breathing stopped and I froze.

Oh.

My.

Gods.

I'm having a daughter.

And-and, one day, she'll date!

My world began to spin as I thought about everything Annabeth and I had done together.

Suddenly, I felt like my lunch was about to crawl up my throat.

_Oh, I'm not going to be not into this_, I told myself, _I am going to be into this! Way too into this! My daughter will want me to be less into this!_

_**A LITTLE GIRL!**_

_**And Percy is going all protective dad.**_

_**Sweet, huh?**_

_**But don't think that this is it, okay? I have a big surprise waiting for you at the end! Don't worry, it's not a **_**bad**_** surprise. But I'm not telling you either. You'll just have to wait.**_

_**I have been working hard to get this chapter out soon because my first dance is tomorrow! Well, the first dance that I am **_**going **_**to is tomorrow. And I cant decide if I should be dreading it since my mom is chaperoning and I might actually have to DANCE at this thing, or if I should be excited. So I guess I'm both.**_

_**;-D HAWTgeek ;-D**_


	38. Chapter 38

_**Annabeth,**_

I moved around, my swollen stomach becoming even more of an obstacle.

I hated being _that_ pregnant woman. Not the one who had a small bump and was glowing but the one you desperately don't want to be.

My stomach was big, and I made my back ache. I was always worried I would run into something and hurt the baby, and I didn't want to get any bigger. But, since I just _couldn't_ stop eating, I couldn't expect much for that.

By the time I was finished with the nursery, I was ready for this baby to pop out already.

_And then my brother called me into his office…_

He had been cutting down my work load, which Percy loved. Ansley had warned me that I needed to lower my stress level, and I promised her that I would, though I made no effort to do so. Percy often got mad at me, telling me that I really did need to do what Ansley said.

I knew I did, and I knew he was right.

But what exactly could I do?

I had a stressful company to co-run. I was currently on the waiting list for meetings with pre-schools (yes, _already_). I had a new five year old son to help raise, and I was trying my very hardest not to have a meltdown or kill JoJo.

Now that Noah's birthday was only four months away, she was suddenly in his life again. Maybe it was because I was pregnant had had married Percy, but she seemed determined to be around all the time. Now that I had pregnancy hormones coursing through me and clouding my judgment, it was getting harder and harder not to pull her fake blonde hair and strangle her with all those stupid necklaces she wore all the time.

So, when Monday morning came, I wasn't in the best of moods anyway. This morning had been full of packing lunches, running around the house to make sure Percy and Noah wouldn't be late, and a cold shower after Percy and Noah used up all the hot water. When I finally was in my conservative (and pregnancy bump concealing) suit, it was a mad dash to get to work on time..

I plopped down in my desk chair, and I held my head in my hands. I was logging on to my computer when my assistant walked in, a pitiful hang-over apparent on her face.

"Mr. Moore wants to see you," she told me, her voice full of sleep and the pain of a hangover.

_Malcolm,_ I thought, _Just what I need. A meeting with my brother._

But I went in there anyway.

Little did I know, this was the beginning of the end.

"Annabeth? You're home early."

I looked up from my carton of _Cookies 'N Cream_ ice cream.

Percy was taking off his mandatory tie and putting his laptop bag on the kitchen table as he came to sit beside me on the couch.

I wasn't exactly sure how to tell him.

How do you tell your husband you've basically been fired from your own company?

Well, it was _maternity leave_, that was what Malcolm had told me. But, when you've just been told that you are being banned from your office and aren't allowed to do any work, it feels more like you're being fired than getting time off.

It was like when a guy tells you he "needs a break."

You know you're being dumped, it's just not those exact words.

"So are you."

"Half-day."

Percy finally noticed I was in my lazy pajamas and one of his old shirts, and I waited for him to put the pieces together.

"Malcolm told you?"

My eyes shot over to him, shooting him daggers, and I felt my anger boil.

"You knew?!" I hit him.

"Yeah, I knew. Your doctor has been telling you to take it down a notch, and you weren't doing it!"

"Percy!"

"Think about our baby," Percy kissed my cheek, but I shoved him off.

"You're kidding, right? I've been working since I was eighteen! And I have five months where I am supposed to sit around and be little _house-wife_!" I stood, and I began to pace. But I stopped when I remembered how hard it was to walk with this baby belly sticking out.

"It's only five months," Percy reminded me, and it was hard not to stop and throw something.

"Five months! How am I going to handle five months?" I felt like I might cry now.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was mad at.

Malcolm for forcing me on to Maternity Leave? Percy for knowing? Hera for not making this baby pop out faster? Or just at the entire situation?

"Annabeth, when the baby is born, these five months will just fly by. And you'll be at work before you know it, I promise," Percy smiled like this was supposed to comfort me in some way.

_Had he _met_ a pregnant woman recently?_

I was unstable enough, I didn't need any reminders of how little time I had before I would have a baby to raise.

I moaned, collapsing on the couch again, and I suddenly forgot my anger for self-pity. I buried my face in Percy's shoulder, and I began to try to plan my next month before the baby was born.

The nursery was completely finished and stocked with the necessities (and a year's worth of diapers). The clothes were bought, and I had my bag packed for the soon birth of my daughter. The only thing not ready was the name for the birth certificate…

I just couldn't decide.

"This could give you time to pick a name you know."

I huffed and nodded.

"How about Sophia Zoe Jackson?"

That was our original choice for her name, but something felt wrong about it now. I just kept thinking that there was something else our daughter needed to be named and that it would be a shame to name her anything but that.

I just couldn't think of what it was…

"I don't know."

Percy put his hand over my stomach, and he brushed away my hair with the other hand.

"We can't exactly keep holding this off, Annabeth."

"I know, I know."

"We only have a few more weeks, Annabeth-"

"I know, Percy. She's in _my_ body. And I'll be present when this all goes down."

Percy let out a small laugh, and he kept running his fingers through my golden curls.

We had been talking about what we thought our daughter would look like, and, thanks to Aphrodite's babbling over tea last week, we had a pretty good image. Genetics decreed that she would most likely have my curly blonde hair, and Aprhodite told me, "She'll have the most _beautiful_ eyes!" though she didn't say what they would look like. And Percy was convinced he would look like me.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my daughter. I wasn't sure if she would be smart like me or sometimes ridiculous like Percy. I wasn't sure if she would be funny like him or sometimes too serious like me. Would she be well behaved or was I in for a treat when she got older?

I didn't like _not_ knowing.

Never had, never will.

And this was the biggest thing I didn't know!

This was my baby. This was my future, and this was her life, too. I didn't know what my future was.

I didn't know if I could handle the birth (daughters of Athena often had problems with that). I didn't know if I could keep her safe. I didn't know if, after I had kept her safe long enough to get her to camp, she would be able to keep herself safe. Did Hera hate me enough to kill my daughter? Or, if she wasn't, were there others who hated me enough to kill my child? Would they succeed?

It was too many questions and not enough answers.

I had never felt fear for my child until this last month.

I had only been thinking about the baby years.

Now I thought about the rest of her life.

And I wasn't sure I could do it.

I couldn't be one of those moms who just sat and prayed for their child to survive their quest. I couldn't let her go and know that she just had to do that.

Gods, I had trouble every morning dropping Noah off from school and knowing he could drive himself home soon!

And he was _five_.

"How about Meg? Like Meg Ryan from _You've Got Mail_?" Percy smirked.

"Now I want to watch that."

"Chocolate covered popcorn?" Percy kissed my cheek.

"Ohh, with extra butter!"

Percy rolled his eyes, muttering something about how that was disgusting, but he got up and started making it.

_**Percy,**_

"_Bore. Dom_," Annabeth moaned, and I rolled my eyes.

She was stretched out on the couch, burying her face in a pillow.

For the last two weeks, she had been at home and making a show out of it.

We were trying to keep her pregnancy under the radar, and, since the press was still shocked by our marriage, we hadn't seen it splashed on the front page yet. So, Annabeth was staying in the house most of the time to keep it that way.

She had made every meal instead of ordering out, a fad that lasted for a week before she almost caught the kitchen on fire. She cleaned, which worked out better. She read almost every book in the house, and she even started knitting.

In the end, we have a giant hot pink throw, two pairs of booties, and a scarf for each of us. All of the books had been put back in the wrong places, and she had moved on to my school books. And there were days where she distinctly smelled of Clorox.

Today, she told me not to worry since it was a _"DVD and Ice Cream Day"_ today.

But, then again, she had said that yesterday was a _"DVD and Ice Cream Day."_

"It won't be that bad," I pulled the pillow off her face, and Annabeth looked up at me.

"You get to go to work-"

"And put up with a bunch of thirteen year olds all day."

"And I am here. I can't really leave-"

"You _can_ leave. You just don't want to get harassed by the paparazzi."

"Do you have any idea how _boring_ this is?"

"Why don't you hang out with Juniper? You can complain together," I smirked.

"Grover won't let her leave the house. He's so worried she'll go into labor with Emily-Rose," Annabeth complained, pouting.

"Well, you're pretty close to that yourself."

Annabeth's grey eyes looked to me, glaring.

She had seen her sister-in-law through labor with both of her children, and seeing that hadn't fazed her until now when she was so close to going through it herself. Annabeth was ready for this baby to just be born, but she wanted to push off the idea of labor for as long as possible, which is why she had a C-Section scheduled for three weeks from now.

"Oh no. _That_ is not happening," Annabeth shook her head, "No _natural birth_ for me. Juniper is crazy if you ask me. They created those drugs because people need them."

I rolled my eyes.

"You've put up with a lot, Annabeth. You held the weight of the world, and you don't think you can handle labor?"

"Yes, that is _exactly_ what I think."

I rolled my eyes, and I was about to say something back.

But, all of a sudden, a little kid sat in the big arm chair, and he hurriedly began tying his shoes while cramming down a Poptarts.

"Slow down, Baby," Annabeth told him, letting out a small chuckle.

"We're going to be late," he told us as he wiped away Poptart crumbs, and I took the hint that I needed to get up as he zipped up his green backpack.

"Good luck you two."

I planted a kiss on the top of her golden curls.

"Love you. Have fun."

"If my brain doesn't _explode _from boredom."

I rolled my eyes.

"I just love when you're this optimistic."

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at me, and I was about to counter something when Noah pulled on my wrist.

"Dad! Come on, _come on_! Coach wants to see me. I'm going to be _late_!"

"Alright, alright, Shorty. We're leaving. Calm down."

Noah pulling me out, I made my way to the car, and the New York City traffic to school made Noah almost unbearable. I had to turn on the radio to where he was singing along to Nikki Minaj, which he said he heard with his mom, and I had to just pretend I didn't notice that he kept looking at his cell phone for the time.

When we pulled into the drop-off, I took it as a miracle he didn't jump out of the car before I could pull the car to a complete stop.

It was hard not to laugh as I watched Noah and Sam run like their life depended on it to get to the soccer field.

As other teacher-parents drove into the school with their children, I made my way to the middle school I had worked at for years.

There was something I loved about walking through the halls in the morning.

There were the girls typing away on their smart phones and applying lip gloss with the reflection of their cell phones. There were the jock boys talking about the latest game. Ids crammed to finish their homework or study for a test in the library. And there were the couples being adorable in front of their lockers.

It was weird to see Alice walk right past me without asking about school or the impending finals. But her teacher crush had moved on to the new health teacher/tennis instructor, and I was old news.

I was just that teacher who was married with a five year old son and a soon-to-be born baby. Whatever crush she had on me had evaporated, and the mornings were proof of it.

Instead of how she used to pester me, she almost sprinted down the hall to Mr. Robin to talk about the tennis team, which she had just joined.

I was logging on to my computer to see if had any parent-emails when my cell phone buzzed.

I first ignored it, but then I remembered how close Annabeth was to her due date.

"Hello?"

Grover replied in a frantic, fast voice, and I couldn't understand a word he said.

"Grover, calm down. I can't understand you."

"Juniper. Juniper…" my best friend sounded like he might pass out.

"Juniper? What happened to Juniper?"

"She's… baby… now," his breathing got shallow, and I heard someone yell at him, Juniper I think.

After his wife yelled at him for a good two minutes, Grover seemed to be fine again.

"Juniper's in labor," his voice sounded better, though still frantic, "I'm having a baby, Perce!"

"Yeah, _you're_ the one in labor!" I muffled yell came through the line, and I tried not to laugh.

* * *

_**So Juniper is in labor. I wonder what will happen from here…**_

_**Alright, big news kind of. Since I have already been letting you all in on the Soap Opera that is my life, I decided I might as well tell you that I kind of told George I liked him. Playful banter with George on Facebook turned into getting me stuck where he found out about my crush. And he kind of seemed to be joking about it when he found out, saying "Night. U avoided the question, so I know u do. I won't tell anyone."**_

_**I mean, what does that freaking mean? I know he doesn't really like me (he was telling me at the beginning of the conversation about how he had been upset because the girl he liked wasn't talking to him but that she was speaking to him again). So, why the heck does it feel so bad?**_

_**-HAWTgeek **_


	39. Chapter 39

_**Annabeth,**_

Seven hours and ten minutes after I got the frantic call from Grover, going to pick up food (and a few drinks) for Grover, holding Juniper's hand, and listening to her scream that I should never opt for a natural birth, there was a new little girl welcomed into the world.

Emily-Rose Willow Underwood was born on May 3rd, already having a full head of red-tinted curls. Her eyes were dark green like Juniper's natural curls, and her skin was pale with a small green tint to it. She was a quiet baby, or she had been for the last few hours. I couldn't tell if that would be permanent since Grover had been playing the flute for her for the hour she had been alive.

After she got her shots, by the demanding of Juniper, Emily-Rose was brought back to us, and a small smile had stayed on Juniper's lips, which felt foreign after hours of seeing her screaming with a murderous look in her eyes as she looked at her husband.

"Do you need anything?" Grover asked the two women, stopping at the door before leaving.

His flute was in his back pocket, the first time it had left his lips in what felt like forever.

Emily-Rose was fast asleep in her crib beside us, and we were scared to talk to loudly in fear of waking her up.

"No," Juniper shook her head, sitting up, and I shook my head, too.

Grover walked off, leaving the three girls in the hospital room.

"So, how does it feel? To have a baby? To not have this person inside of you?" I looked at my own bulging stomach.

"I'm still hormonal, and I kind of miss Emily-Rose kicking me," Juniper felt at her stomach, and I knew she was expecting another kick, something I was feeling right now.

My little munchkin had been all up in the excitement of today.

This morning, I could tell she was on board with the idea of a lazy day. No kicks or problems at all until I answered my cell phone with a call from Grover.

With the excitement, the baby had gone insane, and I wasn't sure I could take another kick.

"Kiddo is still going insane," I tapped my growing abdomen.

"Wants to be born like Emily-Rose," Juniper smiled at my stomach.

I laughed.

"Hey, so have you guys picked out a name yet?" Juniper got on her side to smile at me, and I shook my head.

"He wants to name her Zoe. Or Silena. Or Sophia," I shrugged, "I just don't want to name her that, but I don't know what I want to name her."

"Emily-Rose just felt right," Juniper's smile rested on her infant daughter, "You know, I wanted to name her Willow. You know, after my cousin? The one that John Bing _accidentally_ chopped down a few years ago? We were so close, but I decided that I wanted my daughter to be herself. And, as I was looking at that ultrasound, the first name that popped into my head was Emily-Rose."

Juniper smiled that veteran smile.

Dana gave it to me all the time.

It was the,_ "I'm a mother, so I know"_ look.

I had to admit I thought it was a little weird that Juniper was giving me that look after only an hour of motherhood, but she was farther into it than I was. I hadn't even given birth yet. And, from what Ansley told me, I had a few more weeks until then…

I shrugged, not sure what to say back to Juniper.

"Hey, is Percy coming? He needs to calm Grover down. He's been shaking like a leaf since my water broke."

Even I had to admit that I was shaking.

Juniper was very kind. Though a free spirit and a bit flirty at times, she was also revered in some ways. She did not yell, or, if she did, it was only at Grover when he _really_ deserved it.

But, today, she had _not_ been kind.

She screamed. She yelled. She threatened, and, for a few hours, I really thought she might really kill Grover.

"Yeah, he's dropping Noah off with Kate and Sam. Percy'll be here soon."

Juniper relaxed and smiled, running her green hand to brush across her daughter's cheek.

The baby kept sleeping soundly, and I smiled at the two of them as I brought out my cell phone.

"Can I get another picture?"

Juniper smiled yes, and I opened the camera app as I stood from the chair and angled myself where I could get a good picture of Emily-Rose, who kept sleeping even though I accidentally forgot to turn off the flash.

I moved back to where I could get a photo of the mother and child, and Juniper smiled wide as I pressed the screen again.

I messed up the photo when my daughter's sudden kick made me move, and I smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, let me try again."

Juniper nodded, though I noticed she was watching me carefully now.

"One, two… three."

It flashed, and Juniper quickly looked back to her daughter to check on her to see if I woke her up.

That was then it happened.

I doubled over with a sudden pain, and my jeans suddenly felt wet.

Oh.

My.

Gods.

I was so shocked that I was paralyzed, and I clutched my stomach as I realized what was happening.

My eyes shot up to Juniper, who was swaddling her baby, and her eyes gently drifted up to me.

Her jaw dropped, and I couldn't think straight.

W-Was I…?

"Oh my gods, Annabeth! You just-!"

I nodded.

"But-But I'm early!"

"Does it matter?" Juniper laughed a little, hurriedly pressing the button for the nurse, and I even found myself laughing through my shocked tears.

"Maybe our kids can share a birthday," I just kept laughing, and the moment stopped when Grover was staring with wide eyes as he walked in slowly with a nurse hurrying towards me.

_What the heck?_ Grover mouthed to Juniper, and the nurse took one look at me.

"Are you-?"

"My name is Annabeth Jackson. My doctor is Dr. Ansley Wilson. And I am two weeks early," I told the nurse, quickly going into Wise Girl mode.

_**Percy,**_

Annabeth squeezed my hand as tightly as possible as another contraction hit her hard, and I felt that familiar feeling that I was going to die for putting her in so much pain.

Even if I did get past the guilt, her _mother_ wouldn't…

This had been happening for the last four hours.

Only the time between each contraction was getting shorter and shorter, and I was feeling so horrible I felt like curling up into a ball and dying.

I had always protected Annabeth, and I had always tried my hardest to keep her away from pain. But, nine months ago, I did something that would give her some of the worst pains she would ever experience. And no one was letting me forget it.

With JoJo, it hadn't been horrible. She had only let me in with her about an hour before the baby was born, and I had been so focused on the baby that I couldn't think about JoJo even if her screams still haunt me after going through a "natural" birth.

With Annabeth, I felt a piece of me die every time she winced or screamed or did anything to show she was in pain.

"You're doing great. It's over now," I brushed her hair out of her eyes, and she smiled weakly at me, her grip on my hand still tight but in a more loving way.

"Is a C-Section completely out of the question?"

I laughed, and my gaze softened.

"So what did Ansley say exactly?"

In the last four hours, as soon as I got the call from Grover explaining what was happening and I broke a few traffic laws getting to the hospital, I had been by Annabeth's side almost the entire time. When my cell phone rang with Noah's ringtone and my stomach wouldn't stop growling, I stepped out for just a minute to grab a protein bar and talk to my son.

That just so happened to be the time that Ansley made her rounds and told Annabeth everything about her labor.

"She said," Annabeth began, having told me this a million times, "that I am progressing pretty fast, and she is thinking about how early I am. A C-Section would only happen if I needed it but is not out of the question. And then she gave me the list of things I can eat and can't."

Annabeth pointed to a poster on the wall, which I didn't even glance at.

"But Juniper only had eight hours. How long will you be for you?"

"No one knows, Percy."

"And what about your mother? Will your birth cause problems in this baby's birth?"

"I don't know-"

"Some people have this for a day, Annabeth. We can't handle a day, I know you can't. I certainly can't-"

"Percy, calm down," Annabeth cut me off, smiling gently.

I took a deep breath and tried to take my wife's advice.

"Why are you telling me to calm down?" I brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, and she smiled weakly, taking long deep breaths as she looked at me.

"Because you seem to need it more than me," she smirked.

I kissed the top of her head, and she nodded.

"How was Noah? Did he have a good day at school?" Annabeth asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"He did. He got a one hundred on his math quiz thanks to your tutoring, and, the last time I talked to him, Malcolm took the kids out for pizza. And Kate was talking about how they would play _Just Dance_ when they got home. They're having fun," I told her, and Annabeth nodded.

She was trying to think of anything but how she was in labor, and I knew it was all getting to her.

It had been slowly building up on me, too, and I kept waiting for Annabeth to freak out.

I had been through this tortuous waiting once before. I knew what it was like to sit in this chair and know that your life with never be the same again. I didn't know what to expect, and I wasn't sure I could handle whatever came next.

For the ten hours JoJo was in labor with our son, I thought of every possibility. I began to wonder what kind of man my son would be. I wondered if he would be too heroic for his own good or not heroic enough. I wondered if he would be too loyal like me or if he wouldn't be loyal to anyone. I wondered if he would be strong enough to take on what he had been born into or if he wouldn't be able to handle it.

The last question still kept me awake at night.

And it was doubled for this child.

She was the precious granddaughter of the Sea God and the Wisdom Goddess. She had parents that had gotten in a lot of trouble and who people wanted to get back at. She was also going to be powerful…

_Maybe too powerful,_ I reminded myself.

I began to shake, and Annabeth craned to stare directly into my eyes.

"_The Wise Children shall love_

_The One of the Sea shall protect_

_The Mother shall release from old debts_

_The Fates will grant with great power_

_But ancient feuds will scorn_

_The daughter of the mind and sea."_

I remembered the words well.

Our quests had been far behind us, and we were settling into new adventures of dorms, college parties, and crazy teachers as we started college. At the end of the summer before we were to start our second year of college, we were all sitting at the campfire when another prophecy came to our Oracle.

Everyone thought it was about us, but it had never come to pass.

We had almost forgotten about it until we saw that we were having a daughter.

"It is her, isn't it?" Annabeth asked, wanting me to say no.

A horrible silence filled the air, and that was answer enough.

"I don't know, Annabeth," I finally admitted.

Annabeth nodded, leaning back in the hospital bed, and she stayed there for a long time, not moving. She was thinking it over, and I knew she was only coming closer and closer to the fear she had brought up to me two months ago.

"It could be someone else."

Annabeth nodded.

"I guess…"

"Rachel thought that River's quest was about Noah, you know. But then he took it."

"And lost his leg."

"But River was a Seaweed Brain. This baby is only _half_ Seaweed Brain," I tried.

It didn't seem to have any conciliation with Annabeth.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally took her hand again.

"We can protect her."

"Not forever, Perseus."

"Not forever," I agreed, "But we can for now. And we can teach her how to take care of herself. And you know the prophecy. She will be protected."

Annabeth nodded, trying to be convinced.

"Think about her family. Think about her parents. We're supposed to be dead, Annabeth, but we're not. And our quests decreed certain death. Hers does not."

This seemed to give something to Annabeth, and she let out a small smile.

She looked like she might cry as she leaned up to kiss me, but a contraction hit her. And she fell back to the bed, squeezing my hand in agony as she felt the familiar pain.

When the contraction was over, Annabeth locked eyes with me.

She had a playful grin and mischievous grey eyes.

"I think this is our last baby, okay?"

* * *

_**Annabeth is in labor! And the baby has a prophecy…**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**Percy,**_

"_Ahhhhh!_"

Her scream was horrible and piercing, making my blood curdle and my body shake.

At the beginning, I tried to keep count, but I had lost count at hour two. Now at hour ten, I didn't care how many times she had screamed. I just wanted to know how many times she would have to scream before this was over.

"It's okay, just keep pushing," Dana reassured her sister-in-law, trying to act like this was something simple. But Dana had lost the _"I've done it twice, you can do this now"_ thing about two hours ago.

Annabeth would have glared if her hatred hadn't been focused on me right now.

Annabeth's grey eyes were amazing. They could be happy, making you want to let out a bubbly laugh and smile wide. They could be devastated and make you want to crawl into bed and never wake up. They could show pure love and let you know that you were the luckiest person in the entire world to have that.

And they could also show suck pure hatred that you were scared for your life.

This was one of those times.

"I hate you," she let out another scream, looking like she might just murder me if she wasn't busy focusing on her pain.

I just shrugged it off.

The first five times she told me that, it actually hurt, but I was so used to it that it was just a fact of life now.

"Just a few more pushes, Annabeth. You can do it," Ansley assured her patient, and Annabeth screamed again. I knew that Ansley was rethinking the recommendation to go through a natural birth instead of the C-Section earlier planned for the eighteenth.

Despite the fact that she hated me so much right now, Annabeth still squeezed my hand with every sudden pain. So, for the last hour, I felt like she was about to squeeze my hand off.

"I hate Hera!" Annabeth screamed at the top of her lungs, and she squeezed my hand even harder.

I felt like I might cry as I watched my wife in such pain, and I couldn't wait for this baby to just be born already.

I knew that Artemis had promised Annabeth a short birth for our daughter, but, to do that, she had jammed all of the pain to hit her in such a short amount of time. It was horrible for all of us, and I had even worried once or twice that she wouldn't be able to handle it…

Annabeth's face was littered in tears as she let out another sickening scream, and I prayed to every god I could think of that this would end soon.

"It's okay, Annabeth," now I was crying, and Rachel was already sobbing for her best friend. Only Dana had dry eyes, and I had a feeling that wouldn't be for long.

Annabeth's back arched, and she held on to her stomach as she let out the worst scream of all of them.

"I can see her head!" Ansley told her, and Annabeth let out another scream as she pushed again.

But I could barely hear it because there was another girl screaming.

_Our daughter_.

Annabeth's tears got heavier, and her lips spread into a smile as she heard our baby cry louder, and Ansley was crying as she looked up at us with a wide smile.

It was as if all of the pain, angst, and torture had never happened.

"It's a girl."

The entire room was crying as Ansley cut the umbilical cord, and my eyes didn't leave my daughter as they wrapped her up in a light pink blanket. Ansley's grey eyes stayed locked on her niece's as she brought her to her mother.

"She is so beautiful, Annabeth," Ansley let a stray tear slide down her cheek with happiness, and Annabeth was speechless as she took the infant from her arms.

I craned to see her, and I almost stopped breathing…

"She has your eyes, Percy," Annabeth leaned on my shoulder, and I brushed my hand over her soft cheek.

I couldn't handle it anymore, and I began to sob as Annabeth laughed and smiled at our daughter.

"She looks so much like you, both of you," Dana looked at her goddaughter, and Rachel peaked over Dana's shoulder to get a look at the baby.

"She has your lips, Annabeth."

"And your cheekbones, Percy."

"And look at that one little blonde curl. That is so adorable!"

As Ansley, Dana, and Rachel gushed over the baby, I could barely hear any of it.

I could only hear our baby crying and Annabeth gently telling her that everything would be alright. I could only see just how beautiful my daughter was, and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't focus on what Ansley was telling me, even though it was probably pretty important.

"Well, what do you think, Percy?" Annabeth's voice snapped me out of the trance.

"What?"

"Do you like the name?"

"What name?"

"Charlotte Lucia Jackson?"

My smile widened as I nodded.

"Perfect."

Annabeth looked back to the nurse, and she began to spell the names for the birth certificate.

My attention drifted back to my daughter, kissing the top of her head as she began to calm down, staring at me curiously.

Definitely _Annabeth's baby_, I noted happily.

As I looked at her angelic face, I couldn't decide if I was going to cry or if I was going to smile.

"We need to take her for her shots."

Annabeth held on to our daughter defensively, staring at the young nurse, and Ansley had to reassure Annabeth.

"I've personally picked all of my staff," Ansley nodded, making the motion we had made for no monsters when we were around humans, "Everything will be fine, Annabeth."

The nurse continued to stare at Annabeth like she was insane, and Annabeth hesitantly handed the baby over to her.

_**Annabeth,**_

The clock beside me read four in the morning, which meant Charlie was exactly three hours and fifty eight minutes old.

She had been brought back to me two hours ago, when I raised Hades wanting my baby back, and it had taken Rachel going all crazy on them for the nurses to bring her back. I had thought it would help me sleep, but I just couldn't get myself to close my eyes.

I was too worried for her, scared that something bad would happen if I fell asleep and wasn't there to protect her.

It wasn't helping that Charlie was such a peaceful baby, sleeping soundly in the rollaway crib beside my bed.

I was so tired, and my body had been begging for sleep for hours. And, without her crying and reminding me to stay away, I was so worried I would succumb into it.

As I sat up in the hospital bed, I wanted to scoop up my daughter, but I didn't want to wake her up…

So I just sat there, watching in the little light as my daughter slept.

"Knock, knock," someone whispered, and I stared at the door.

"Percy?" I whispered back.

The door opened, making the room fill with light for a brief second, and my husband hurried in, leaving the door cracked as he came in.

"I thought you were at home," I sat up straighter as he pulled a chair to sit beside me and Charlie, holding some paper bag.

He had left about two hours ago to get some sleep at the house and pick up some things I accidentally left out of the bag, not expecting this for a few more weeks.

"Couldn't sleep," Percy whispered, and I motioned towards the bag.

"What is that?"

"Oh," Percy looked down, "I'm so used to getting up in the middle night to get Chinese food that I got some again. Want some?"

I nodded eagerly.

I hadn't been allowed to eat while I was in labor, and I hadn't thought about it until about an hour ago when I realized how hungry I was.

"Sweet and Sour Chicken?" Percy held out a box, and I smiled wide.

"I love you so much right now, Percy."

He handed me the box and chopsticks as he got out his stir fry.

We ate in silence, both starving, and the only sound was our daughter's soft snores.

"Does it feel as weird to you as it is to me?" I whispered, looking from Charlie to Percy.

He nodded with a small smile.

"I thought it wouldn't, but it does," Percy admitted, "How about you?"

"I feel so scared," I looked over to our daughter, "The prophecy may not be her, but you know she'll have a quest. And she'll never _really_ be safe. And I want her to be. I just wish she could be human, safe."

"We could always move to New Rome."

I smirked.

"I'm sure they'll all just _love_ us after what happened with Leo."

"And there's my Wise Girl, thinking with that big brain of hers," Percy kissed the top of my head, and I smiled.

"I love you, too," I was leaning in to kiss him, but I stopped dead in my tracks when we heard we heard a loud cry.

I looked over to Charlie, and Percy smirked.

"We know, we know. You're never going to let us kiss again. I got it," Percy reached for our infant daughter, rocking her as he helped her back into sleep.

"Is she hungry?" I asked, honestly hoping not.

"No, I just think she's tired," Percy kept rocking Charlie, and she slowly began to drift back into a peaceful sleep, making me stare.

As he put Charlie back into her crib, she snored again as if nothing had happened.

My jaw dropped as I looked back to Percy.

"How did you do that?"

"Noah was used to a lot of noise when he slept at JoJo's place. He always had trouble sleeping with all the quiet when he saw me," Percy shrugged.

"You realize that you'll probably have to do that all from now on, right?"

"I guessed as much."

"As long as you know."

"Neither of us will get any sleep though," Percy's hand wrapped around mine.

"And we'll always be busy."

"Sometimes our kids will hate us."

"And sometimes we'll hate them."

"I will have a break down when Charlie is a teen."

"We will cry when they go to college."

"And we will worry about them all the time."

"I will drive you insane with that."

"I will be a total Seaweed Brain."

"And I am warning you, I will get even crazier than I am right now."

Percy smiled.

"You up for it?"

I nodded, and I looked to Charlie to see if she would let me.

She answered with sleep.

I took that as a sign, and I leaned in to kiss Percy.

And she let me.

_I can handle this,_ I reminded myself, _I might go completely insane. And I will just want to scream sometimes. But it is worth it…_

* * *

_**No, this is not the last chapter. And I know it is short, but it is better than nothing, right?**_

_**And we got our little Charlotte Lucia Jackson! What do you think of the name?**_

_**There is a lot of drama to catch you up on, but I need to get to bed. So I will save my big George story for the next chapter, and I will just tell you that I got my braces on my molars. And I pray to God that my orthodontist wasn't just being nice when he told me they would just hurt for a week or so…**_

_**:-{D HAWTgeek :-{D **_


	41. Chapter 41

**I know I didn't mention Bay before, but I suddenly decided that I really thought Percy should have a sibling because I always thought Sally would adopt another child.**

* * *

_**Annabeth,**_

"Finally," Sally looked a little scary as she burst into the hospital room, a big smile on her face, "I have a little girl to dress up! Bay was eleven when we adopted her, and I was beginning to think I would never have a little girl to put in all these little dresses!"

She held up the bag and rushed over to me.

It almost made me laugh to imagine Bay in all those little baby dresses with bows in her hair.

Bay was my sister-in-law. She was the daughter of Poseidon and a scuba diver instructor who died from cancer when she was ten. Her aunt got custody of her to live in Maine, and the monsters attacked too much. Through some crazy journey, Percy and I one day found the little ten year old girl in a New York City park. Sally fell in love with her and adopted her instead of just sending her to camp.

She was twenty-two now, and, though I had wanted her in the wedding, it just didn't work out. Since she was almost done with her research as a marine biologist in Fiji, she was just going to wait another month until she moved back to New York to meet our little Charlie.

Sally could not wait a month though.

This was her third visit since Charlie had been born last night at midnight.

I could tell immediately that our little Charlie was going to be spoiled rotten by Sally, and I was sure that, when my father got to town, he would go crazy, too.

I smiled as moved Charlie in my arms to where Sally could see her.

"Oh, she is just so beautiful!" Sally put her hand over her heart, "She looks so much like you and Percy! And look at those beautiful green eyes!"

I thought Sally was going to cry.

"She's perfect," I brushed Charlie's cheek, and she stared at Sally, not sure if she could scream or not.

"Do you mind?" Sally smiled as she brought out a little blue and green dress from the baby bag.

I shook my head and handed the baby to her.

Sally eagerly unwrapped the swaddled baby and even changed her diaper as she put the tiny baby into a cute little dress that was so tiny I even began to wonder if she had gotten a baby doll dress for Charlie.

She kissed the top of her dainty head as she finished changing her, and she had to stare into her granddaughter's beautiful sea green eyes.

Percy had wanted our daughter to have my grey eyes, and most everyone had been for that, _especially_ my mother. I had also liked the thought of having a daughter with grey eyes, but I couldn't even describe what it had felt like when I first saw my baby girl's sea green eyes.

I loved everything about Percy, or _almost_ everything. But his sea green eyes were my favorite of all. They were really my only constant in my life, and I adored them more than I thought possible.

And now I loved them even more now that our baby girl had those same eyes.

"She is just so beautiful, Annabeth," Sally handed me Charlie and wiped her eyes.

I hugged Charlie and smiled down at her, brushing her cheek again.

"Nana!"

Sally's smile widened as she heard the voice of her other grandchild, and he ran to her with a bubbly smile, leaving his faher at the door.

Sally spun around and smiled as she wrapped her grandson up in a hug, and Percy kissed the top of my head, smiling at Charlie.

"_What _is Charlie wearing?"

"I think she looks adorable, Percy," I smiled at my daughter, who stared at Percy.

She wasn't used to him yet. Charlie and I had been living together for the last nine months, and I thought I had been a pretty good mom when she was demanding to share my body. Percy had just been the guy who started everything and got all of her food when she decided she wanted Chinese food at three in the morning.

Percy rolled his eyes but kept that big fatherly smile at Charlotte.

"Is this Charlie?"

Percy and I both looked down to the little boy staring up at us.

I had almost forgotten that Noah had never met her.

We had sent him pictures of her, and Percy put a million pictures of Charlie on Facebook, earning everyone to go crazy on both of our pages. Noah and I had talked on the phone this morning, and Percy and I both talked about it.

But Noah had never met Charlotte.

Percy moved over for Noah, and Noah's beautiful blue eyes moved straight to Charlie and refused to look away.

She stared back at him.

"She's so cute," his eyes filled with love, and I could tell instantly that she had him wrapped around her tiny little pinky finger. Yes, Percy was smitten with our daughter, but Noah was right on up there with him.

"Noah, this is Charlotte Lucia Jackson."

"Dad wanted to name me Charlie or Luke."

I felt like I might cry as I thought about the people I named my daughter after.

_Gods, I thought these hormones were gone when I had this baby._

I think they got _worse_.

"Yeah, I knew them, too. I loved them very much."

Percy set his hand on my shoulder blade comfort me, and I smiled my thanks.

"Anyway, I think we're going to call her Charlie," I smiled down at my daughter.

"Hey, Baby, do you want to go grab some food? You and Annabeth should be pretty hungry, right?" Sally asked, already putting her purse on her shoulder, and it was clear it wasn't much of a question.

"Happy Meal!"

"McDonalds alright with you, Annabeth?"

I nodded, and Sally took Noah's hand, making him moan as he told her he wasn't a baby any more.

When they closed the door behind them, Percy looked back at me with this funny grin that I hadn't seen in a while.

I had seen his nervous smile as we waited for me to go into labor and he tried not to bring it up. I had seen the _"Thank-the-Gods-Labor-Is-Over"_ smile. And I had seen the fatherly smile and the polite but clear "You-Hurt-One-Hair-On-My-Baby's-Head-And-I-Will-Hunt-You-Down-and-Kill-You" smile.

But I hadn't seen that playful smile since Ansley told us that our daughter could be born any day now.

"It takes them forever to go to McDonalds. You can cry now, Wise Girl."

I hugged my daughter a little tighter and let my eyes water.

"Did you not want to cry when they first met? I mean that was just…"

Emotions swarmed me, and I felt like sobbing like a daughter of Aphrodite.

Who was I kidding?

I knew Aphrodite was watching, and I knew she started crying when Sally put little Charlie in this dress.

Why didn't I?

"I know," Percy kissed the top of my head, and I knew he wanted me to hand him Charlie. But I was so not handing her over yet.

"Percy, I did not have this baby for you to carry her of. I had trouble letting her get her shots, and I made them bring her back. Do not mess with me, especially not now.

Percy rolled his eyes and went to my other side to curl up in the ample hospital bed of Ansley's special rooms for her patients. Aside from having everything a new mother could want and comfortable enough to handle being here for a long amount of time. But that wasn't why I extremely loved being Ansley's patients.

I was one of her less-famous patients, but I got all of the care of my privacy. Magazines who had suspicious that I was pregnant would have to wait longer for their big story about Charlie, and I couldn't be happier.

"Can I hold you while you hold Charlie?"

I shrugged, honestly missing him holding me.

I didn't say that out loud at risk of him laughing at me and saying I was such a _DOA _(Daughter of Aphrodite).

Percy wrapped his arms around me, and his hand rested on Charlie's tiny arm as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"God, you know, I was standing here, and I realized that, one day, we will be the ones coming into meet our grandchild."

"I know… Charlie will grow up so fast."

"Charlie? Annabeth, I was thinking about Noah!"

I looked down at my daughter, and he began to freak out.

"Oh gods, she is going to date! She will get married! She will… she will…" he swallowed heavily, "And she will get pregnant! And my grandchild will have to grow up without a father because I'll _kill_ him!"

"Yeah, why is it we don't kill our son when he gets a girl pregnant but kill our daughter when she gets pregnant? Isn't that weird?"

"No, no, it's not."

I shrugged, rolling my eyes at my husband, and I looked at Charlie.

"I wonder if she'll meet her husband the normal way. You know, meet, start dating, meet the parents, propose, get married, and have kids. Falling for a guy over coffee instead of when you're about to be killed. Getting your first kiss after long-time crushing and dating instead of surviving the Second Titan War and realizing that he was the person you would want to say goodbye to before you died."

Percy stared at me.

This was the first time I had ever talked so far into our daughter's future.

And I didn't feel weird about it.

Even if this was her prophecy, we had survived all of ours, and we were here today with two children and a happy marriage.

"That isn't how everyone does it?"

I began to laugh, and he smiled.

"We'll probably have to fight boys off, you know. She'll be beautiful and smart and kind. Every boy will be in love with her," I smiled down at my daughter.

"I'm trying not to think about that. You're making it hard."

"I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it," I had a playful smile as I looked back to him, and his smile spread as wide as possible as he leaned in to kiss me.

I wonder what my daughter's adventures will be like.

And I wonder who her Seaweed Brain will be…

_**Percy,**_

Annabeth's labor had been Hades for reasons that were pretty obvious, and I thanked the gods that it was finally over and wouldn't happen again. I also thanked the gods that the mood swings were almost over and that the cravings weren't necessary for me to fulfill anymore. And I thanked the gods that Annabeth didn't complain about boredom all the time. I didn't think I had ever prayed so much…

In fact, I thought we were in the clearing.

I thought that I might actually get some sleep for a change. I thought that Charlie would remain as peaceful as she was when we were in the hospital, and I thought that we could always have her go see her grandmother if we couldn't handle it.

Apparently, I forgot what it was like to have a newborn in the house.

Noah had spent half of his time with JoJo and half of his time with me for the first few years of his life, which meant I missed half of the unbearable sleepless nights and the damage of the paint on the wall from every time I threw the baby alarm at the wall.

Charlie seemed to miss the hospital, and the nights where she slept all through the night almost seemed to be a dream when she settled in to her first night in the nursery.

Annabeth was tired, so I had already sent her to bed. Noah had school, so he was also tucked in for the night. Annabeth already had Charlie in a cute pair of green pajamas, and I wrapped her up in a blanket Annabeth knitted while pregnant with her. I kissed the top of her head, and she drifted off into sleep.

Until midnight. And then until two AM. And then until four AM.

By the time it reached six, I was already up and prepared for her cries.

That had become our nightly pattern, though Annabeth took it mostly during the week days. She didn't go back to work until the summer, when I would be on summer vacation and teaching summer school that started at twelve.

While I still found my daughter perfect and amazing, the last two weeks had shown me that she was still human no matter how much of her DNA was godly.

"She is so adorable!" Kate squealed as she looked at the baby, who continued to stare at the four of us.

Annabeth had just gone back to go to sleep after watching her while I was at work, and it felt nice to see her calm instead of screaming bloody murder like last night.

Noah had Kate and Sam over for the day, and everyone had been excited about seeing wonderful little Charlie, even Noah who hadn't slept in two days because of her screaming in the room beside him.

"She is," Noah nodded, and Sam nodded without realizing it.

"So cute," he agreed, and I had to stare out of shock.

If there was anything Sam didn't do, he did not say _cute._

_Gods, talk about the power of the baby,_ I shook my head, _And I thought it was weird when I saw Apollo playing peek-a-boo with Charlie._

"Guys, we need to work on homework," I announced to the three kids, and they all let out a collective moan.

"I have stupid math homework," Sam mumbled as he lugged his backpack to the kitchen table, and Noah was right behind him.

"I have to write my spelling list."

I looked back to Kate, waiting for her to complain about homework, too, but she just grinned back up at me.

"I don't have _any_ homework," Kate proudly told me, and I smiled.

"Percy, I need help with Math! Is Aunt Annabeth up?"

"No."

"Oh… Well…" Sam seemed hesitant, "Can you help me?"

"I'll be right back. Can you watch Charlie for a minute?" I asked Kate, though I knew I would be able to see the crib in the living room from the kitchen table. Kate nodded eagerly, and she turned back to the infant as I started towards the six year old asking for help.

I swear I saw Sam's jaw drop when I actually _was_ able to help him with his math homework, and I began to wonder if he had taken it literally when Annabeth said I was a Seaweed Brain. But, then again, his father _was_ Malcolm, and you can never be sure with him.

_After all, I did get another woman pregnant and leave his sister years ago…_

But I tried not to think about that any more.

"Oh, now I get it," Sam began to work fast now that he understood it, and I took that as my queue to leave.

When I got to Kate, she had a big smile painted on her face as she talked to the infant in the crib.

When she caught me out of the corner of her eye, she flew around to look at me.

"So how was it?"

"Helping Sam with his homework?"

"No, 'Ercy," Kate shook her head like I was crazy, "When Charlie was born!"

"How was it when Charlie was born?" I thought back to the birth and felt a shiver run down my spine.

"And did you cry? Did Aunt Annabef cry? And why did it take so long?" Kate began to bombard me with questions.

I had to take a minute to let the questions sit in, and I did my best to think of a corny _parent line_.

"Well, I cried. And Annabeth cried. And… it took so long because…" I finally thought of something, "It took so long because all good things take time."

_Score one for Team Percy._

"How was she born though?"

"Well," I rubbed the back of my neck, "She was in Aunt Annabeth's stomach-"

"No, I mean how did she get there?"

Oh gods.

"And how are you involved? What makes you the dad?"

Oh wonderful….

If I wasn't mistaken, I'm pretty sure I blushed, too.

"Well, uh, Kate…" yeah, I was so blushing right now, "It is actually pretty complicated. And, uh, one day, you will learn about-"

Kate cut me off by crossing her arms and giving me a look I was sure she had learned from her aunt, the _Tell Me Now_ look I hated and loved so much.

_Malcolm is going to kill me…_

"Hey, Guys."

_Someone up there must love me…._

"Hey, Annabeth," I smiled as I looked back to the kitchen table, where Annabeth was planting a big kiss on Sam's cheek and watching him turn red and get mad at her. Noah began to laugh, earning him a kiss on the cheek, too, and they both stared at Annabeth with daggers as she walked over to me and Kate.

"What's going on here?" Annabeth put her arm on my shoulder and leaned on me, and I had a smile on my face as I looked to her.

"Kate wants to know how Charlie got in your stomach. And how I am involved?"

Annabeth's eyes widened, and I nodded.

"Really?"

Kate nodded eagerly, and Annabeth let out a mischievous smile.

"Well, _I_ am not the expert on that. You should _really_ ask Lady Hera. I'm _sure_ she would just _love _ to tell you _all about it_," Annabeth grinned.

Hera had taken a liking to Kate for reasons none of us could understand, and she would periodically come to see the little girl, which always made me nervous.

"Really?" Kate asked her aunt.

"Really," Annabeth smiled with a nod.

Kate glanced up at me as if looking for reassurance, and I nodded along with my wife.

"Okay," Kate shrugged, and she looked back to Charlie.

Annabeth's mischievous smile turned back to me, and I shook my head.

"Hera is going to kill you."

"I'm still pretty pissed about that labor. Artemis can't help it when Hera is intervening, too," Annabeth shrugged, "Besides, she's _already_ mad at me for life."

"You're testing your luck."

"She took you away for six months! Remember? I hate her, too."

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the side of her head.

"Happy thoughts, Annabeth. Just think happy thoughts, Annabeth."

"I know, I know."

Our daughter let out a whine, and Annabeth rushed over to her, scooping her up I her arms.

"What is it, Charlie?"

* * *

_**I just babysat a three week old with my friend Sloman, so good experience for this chapter, I guess. But the Sloman wrote "I 3 George" on my cheek, and her cousin EA saw it. Then she said, "You know I am friends with George, right?"**_

_**Then my friend Dani gave me a warning to brace myself because she'll probably tell **_**everyone**_**. So I'm not sure what I'm walking into on Monday.**_

_**Oh, and, Future, I have new Jordan stories! **_


	42. Chapter 42

_**Percy,**_

"Oh my God, Mr. Jackson!" one of my students rushed in, and another girl almost tripped with her heels as she rushed into the room behind her.

"Mr. Jackson!"

My eyes widened.

My kids weren't exactly excited during school, especially not at the end of the day like this. And, since summer was only a week away, it felt impossible to get them to either stay awake or settle down. Today, I had to talk loudly and "accidentally" drop a lot of loud stuff to keep myself and the students awake.

I had to take a double take to understand that it really was my student.

When my eyes adjusted from the shock to see it was the Ballet twins.

Gabriella and Vanessa Mitchell were the identical twins to an ex-ballerina who ran the ballet classes here, which happened to be one of the best programs from a school that wasn't a dance school. They both were their ballet styles. Gabriella was known for her rigid dancing, and, while not cruel or anything, she was the more serious of the sisters, usually having changed into her clothes for ballet with pants over it when she got to my class. Vanessa was a passionate dancer, and every outfit she wore had been carefully thought out before coming to school.

They were close, but they didn't talk much since they didn't have that much in common. But they were joined together for two things, ballet and romance.

And I could see it was the latter.

"Oh my God!" Vanessa began, squealing, "Your baby is _sooo cute!_"

"She looks so much like Annabeth!"

I smiled as I looked to the picture on my desk of Annabeth and Charlie on her birthday, about eight hours into her life.

But then Vanessa kept going.

"You know, when she was born, you couldn't really tell, but you can now-"

"Wait, what?" my eyes shot up to Vanessa, and she stared at me as if it should be obvious.

"Mr. Jackson? You do _know_, right?"

I stared, getting a little frantic.

"Oh. My. God. Mr. Jackson, _where_ have you _been_?" Vanessa began, and her twin began to riffle through her messenger bag as the other students filed in.

I wasn't exactly sure why I was panicking. This _was_ only a thirteen year old girl whose biggest weapon was her smart phone. But this was also my newborn daughter, and I couldn't help but be scared for anything involving her.

"Well, this morning, I took a long time getting ready because Gabby took forever in the shower," Vanessa looked to her sister, "So when Maggie and I went for coffee, we didn't have time for our favorite place and had to stop by a cart. You know Maggie, right? She's in your third period class. Well, she's my best friend, and she lives in my building. In the floor below me."

"Here," Gabriella stopped her sister as she handed me the magazine, and I felt like my eyes might bug out of my head.

"Anyway," Vanessa glared at her sister, and she kept telling the story in annoying detail. But I had stopped listening as I stared at the pictures splashed on the page.

Oh. My. Gods.

My eyes kept flying from picture to picture. One picture had my wife and newborn daughter going grocery shopping just four days ago. Another had the picture of Annabeth in her big SUV, Charlie in the back, and Noah getting in the car after school. And it kept on, starting from two days after she was born to three days ago.

I cringed as I looked back to the title.

_Annabeth Chase has baby!_ was printed in large, bulky leaders that almost took up the entire first page of the story. And it was the front page story on the cover.

As my eyes skimmed it, I picked up bits and pieces. "Annabeth's rumored pregnancy confirmed", "sudden wedding makes sense", and "the secret is out" jumbled in my brain even without the dyslexia. With every page, it seemed to get worse.

The first consisted of the first pictures of Annabeth's pregnancies, which were never confirmed and passed off as reading too much into it. The next was of our wedding and engagement, which enraged me at what it was saying about our _"Quickie" _wedding. And the last had pictures of Charlotte.

"So, uh, you found this at a stand?" I asked, cutting Vanessa off.

"Yeah, I _just_ said that."

"So anyone could find it?"

"It's everywhere."

"It's also on Facebook," Gabriella offered, and I decided not to ask how she knew that with the strict _"No Facebook"_ policy I was supposed to enforce.

"Facebook?" I swallowed heavily.

"Are you alright, Mr. Jackson?"

I looked up to see that the entire classroom was staring at me, even Alice.

Alice had lost interest in me a while ago. She had once thought having a kid showed responsibility, but now it was boring that I had two kids. She thought I was amazing for being a single dad, but I was no longer single. She thought I was brave to go against everything on my own, but I wasn't on my own anymore. When I got a wedding band, I suddenly became Mr. Boring.

And the new Tennis Coach had taken my place.

I had thought about warning him, but I decided to let him figure it out for himself.

"Get started on the assignment on the board. I will be right back."

I hurried out of the classroom before they could say anything, and I scanned the empty halls for my boss, the strict headmistress. Knowing she wasn't nearby, I powered on my cell phone, and I looked at the number of calls from Annabeth.

I pressed the button to call her back, and it didn't take but two rings for her to snap up the phone.

"Did you _see_?" she was so angry that I could barely tell who it was aimed at.

"I saw."

"How dare they? This is my child! This is-this is!" Annabeth's anger was bubbling over as she began to yell.

_**Annabeth,**_

"_Annabeth Chase is known to us all as a jetsetter, an amazing business woman, and the beautiful face of wisdom. We have all envied her amazing life of flying off at a moment's notice, eating at the finest restaurants, and attending the hottest Hollywood parties with _the_ it-chef. But now she has traded that life for working around school schedules, making school lunches, and eating Chinese with her husband."_

I looked up from the magazine, on the verge of tracking down the journalist who wrote this.

I think I may have even met her. Wasn't Erin Blue the woman I met at that party for Henry last year when she started telling me about just how lucky I was in such a phony Russian accent?

I was actually about to bring this up to Percy when he looked up from buttoning up Charlie's little jumpsuit after changing her diaper. He smiled at me as he picked our daughter up, and he had this cocky grin on his face.

Percy had always been handsome.

But now he was even more amazing than he had been when we were sixteen. Undoubtedly, he had gotten more handsome with age, but he had also gotten more handsome after our daughter, Charlotte, was born. His green eyes were brighter, his smile wider, and his posture even more relaxed.

I was pretty jealous. I was still losing the baby weight, and I was losing that great pregnancy glow I had come to love. My grey eyes were looking tired, and, while I had a big smile plastered on my face a lot of the time, I was also becoming easily stressed and constantly busy.

"That's ridiculous!"

"Thank you!" I smiled, happy my husband was finally on my side.

"I make the school lunches!" he smirked.

I threw the magazine at him, though I made sure it only made it to the end of the bed because of Charlie.

He laughed as he sat down on the bed beside me. He wrapped Charlie up in a blanket for the moment before coming to rub my shoulders.

"Calm down, Annie," he kissed my jawbone.

"Look at this!" I reached for the magazine, pointing at a picture of me taking Charlie out of her carseat.

"We knew this would happen."

"That doesn't matter," I pouted, and Percy let out a small laugh. I guess he was happy I was acting like a child instead of him.

"We'll be fine."

"No, I don't think you understand. Attention was brought to Charlie. They know about her now," I felt like sobbing, and I hid my face in his chest. I was used to an old tee shirt being there, but I felt his tan skin instead.

"There was already attention to her," Percy brushed back my blonde hair, "She is the daughter of the annoying son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena. She is the granddaughter of Athena and the _only _granddaughter of Poseidon, at least this far. She is also the prime candidate for the next prophecy. There was _already_ attention to Charlotte."

"I don't want there to be," I whispered.

"Look at me, Annabeth."

Like a timid child, I looked up at him, and he didn't seem happy any more that he was the one with the answers and having to be the strong one.

But he was doing it any way.

"We are going to protect her, and she will be able to protect herself. You don't have to worry."

I nodded.

"Now, be happy, okay?" he smiled, "Throw away the magazines. Start awing over Charlie, and stop being so Mommy-Worrier."

I smiled wide, hugging him tightly.

"And give your husband a kiss."

I rolled my eyes but planted a big kiss on his lips.

His arms wrapped his strong arms around my waist, his hands on my hips. My arms wrapped tighter around his neck, and we both began to lean down to where he was almost laying on top of me. But, before anything could happen more than that, we heard loud stamping on the floor.

Percy got off me, and I hurriedly went back to checking on Charlie before the door flew open.

"Guys! Guys!" Noah jumped on the bed, and I thanked the gods I had just picked up Charlie.

"What?" Percy put his hands on Noah's shoulders, calming him down.

Kate came running after him, her curls flying as she ran, and she jumped on the bed along with him, wearing a pair of unicorn pajamas.

It had been a plan for Sam to come, but he had to do something last minute. So Kate came along any way, and Noah pretended to be disappointed. But, after two minutes of them pouting and pretending that they couldn't have fun without Sam, they were fine again.

"Look what came in with Netflix!" Noah waved the envelope.

"Oh my gods! Charlie is _so_ cute!" Kate rushed over to me to smile at Charlie.

As Noah explained the DVD to Percy, Kate and I cooed over Charlie.

"Well then, let's watch it!" Percy scooped up Noah, and Noah laughed like the little kid he was as Percy carried him off.

Kate and I were slower as we followed them because of Charlie, and we laughed and talked about how her swimming classes were going. By the time we got to the living room, the boys were impatiently waiting to press play.

Percy wrapped his arms around me and Charlie as we sat down beside him, and Kate happily plopped down beside Noah.

"Hey, so what are you guys doing for Noah's birthday party?" Kate asked, turning to me and Percy.

"The soccer field," Noah smiled happily, "Annabeth has everything down you know. She even got me this big soccer ball cake!"

I smiled.

I was pretty shocked that I liked this to tell you the truth. I expected I would find it tedious to pick up laundry that was scattered along his room, and I thought I would get annoyed with teacher-parent conferences. I definitely thought I couldn't do a birthday party.

Maybe it was the name "Annabeth Chase-Jackson" on the application, but people gave me what I wanted a whole lot easier.

"Cool!" Kate grinned.

"It _is_ pretty cool," Percy nudged him with his leg, and Percy planted a big kiss on my cheek.

* * *

_**My laptop broke. Actually, in the middle of writing this chapter, so I just now finished it now that I have my laptop again. A lot of George stuff happened. Too much family stuff happened. And school stuff happened. But I don't much care.**_

_**So what if Tanner had basically announced a ban on me since he called "dibs" from what I've been told. So what if my aunt declared World War III. And so what if exams are soon.**_

_**These are one of the many reasons God let us have headphones, our smartphones with "pick me up" playlists, and hickory barbeque chips.**_

_**See you soon!**_


	43. It Was All Worth It

_**Annabeth,**_

I tickled Charlie's stomach before I put on her cute little dress, and I strapped on her shiny black shoes.

Every day, Charlotte seemed to get more beautiful. Her eyes were Percy's sea green, and she had my golden blonde curls. She had a big wide smile ninety percent of the time, and, if it hadn't been for the limited amount of space in our apartment and how much of our time she took up, moments like this would have probably made me want another baby.

I wasn't exactly sure what the magic was. Now, I loved Noah with everything I had, but there was something about infant Charlie. Maybe it was her pure innocence or maybe it was the fact I went through labor for her to be here with us.

Did every mother feel this for their child?

If so, how do they ever let them go?

_Letting them go…_

Something made me sick as I thought about that phrase. Could I ever let my children go? I wasn't sure I could…

"Come on, Baby, we have a party to get to," I held Charlie tight as I walked out of the women's restroom and back to the party.

It was still shocking to see it all.

There was a big soccer game on the field with Noah's soccer friends. His classmates just ran around and acted like the six year olds they were or they jumped up on the Bouncy House. Moms talked and occasionally yelled out to their child to be behave. The dads formed a huddle, hoping to get away from the torture of a child's birthday party.

For the millionth time, I searched through the group of kids until I found Noah. He was playing with some of the boys from the soccer team, and he looked happy with the big _Birthday Boy_ hat strapped to his head.

I had to admit that it warmed my heart and made me think that this really could be worth it just to see that smile.

I had seen Dana handle birthday parties, and I had helped. But I had never understood how hard it was to be the mom at your child's birthday party, especially with how packed out with activities I had made this one. But add in a three month old baby to take care of, and it got harder.

For now, I had some spare time because Charlie spit up on her dress, and I voted to change it while I let Percy handle something else. And I intended to relax for a while.

When I spotted my friends gushing over Emily-Rose, I hurried that way.

It didn't take me long to find them, but how could it?

There was a girl with dyed black hair and light green skin wearing a _Save the Rainforest_ tee shirt, and she carried a baby with light green skin and red hair on her hip. Beside her, there was a woman with perfectly smoothed red hair pulled back in a ponytail and a shirt as emerald green as her eyes over a pair of jeans covered in paint. Next to that, there was a tall graceful woman with cascading brown curls and a pearly white smile. And, on the end, there was a sweet looking woman with a big smile and a pregnancy visible in a vintage blue dress.

I knew these people as Juniper, one of my best friends. Emily-Rose, my goddaughter. Rachel, the oracle and one of my best friends. Dana, my sister-in-law. And Hazel, one of my other best friends.

"And there's Charlie," Dana smiled.

"Well, hello to you, too," I rolled my eyes, but Dana didn't pay me any attention. Instead, she took her niece from my arms, and she rocked her gently, whispering that she was so cute.

"Hey, did Mommy lose weight?" Rachel poked my stomach, and I smiled, though I was getting a little tired of it.

Yes, I _had_ lost weight. But, if anyone ever wanted to give a woman who had just had a baby a compliment, you told her she had lost weight. And I had heard the phrase a little too much.

"And this Mommy gained weight," Hazel pouted, patting her stomach.

"You're six months pregnant. What did you expect?" Juniper asked as she put a pacifier in Emily-Rose's mouth.

"Hey, so, are you having a Roman or Roma?" I turned my attention to Hazel, and she smiled. Roma and Roman were two common names in New Rome, and she and her husband had decided that since they really fell in love in Rome, their child's name should involve it.

I missed Hazel, and it still killed me that we were no longer meeting on Tuesday mornings for coffee and cupcakes. But I can understand why they decided to go. In New Rome, they could keep their child safe without worrying about it and be around other demigod parents.

When Charlie came around, I had wanted to run away to New Rome, but we were so invested in our lives here. And, if I knew Noah at all, he wouldn't be the good little boy and stay in the safety of New Rome his entire life. He would come back into the human world, and he needed to be prepared. So did Charlie... I just had to stop being so scared.

"A Roma," Hazel smiled wide, "But we are thinking about naming her after his mom. I was never really close to mine, but he was. And I like the name any way..."

"I think that is a great idea," I offered, but Hazel's eyes widened at something over my shoulder.

"What is _that_?" Hazel pointed towards the woman walking towards us.

We all turned to look where she was pointing.

I almost started laughing.

"Wait, is that JoJo?" Dana really did laugh.

Yes, this was JoJo unless there was some other woman crazy enough to look like that.

Her platinum blonde hair was crimped, and she had it pushed behind her ear to talk on her hip new smartphone, showing all the weird earrings on her ear. She had on a pair of black leather pants that were two sizes too small, and her spiked heels sank into the grass. Her face was covered in every make-up promising to make her look younger or hipper or prettier. She had the same _Save the Rainforest _tee shirt as Juniper, but JoJo's was two sizes too small like her pants, and she had a leather jacket that must have been burning her alive in the heat of the day.

"She's thirty?"

"Thirty-_one_."

I wasn't sure why I hated her so much.

She _was _Noah's mom, and I knew we had to make peace. But I couldn't get myself to do it.

Especially not when she came to a six year old's birthday party like _that_.

When she spotted me, she quickly slid off her heels and traded them for a pair of spiked loafers. She put on a layer of red lipstick, and she flipped her fake blonde hair as she quickly made her way to me.

"Am I late?" she hurriedly asked, and I shook my head.

"We're just about to sing."

"Thank God, Noah would _hate_ me if I missed that!"

An awkward silence filled the air, and my friends just kept staring at JoJo like she was an alien.

"Um, I'm Juniper," Juniper nodded, still holding on her daughter.

"Oh, I'm JoJo, Noah's mom," she straightened her shirt, noticing that she was wearing one that actually fit.

"I'm Hazel."

"Rachel."

"You know me."

"Oh, right, Dani!"

"Dana."

"Oh, right, I meant _Dana_."

Another akward silence.

"I'm going to get everyone ready for cake," I hurried away, and JoJo started off to find Noah and get away from my glaring friends.

I passed the moms and bouncy house to get to where Percy was lighting green candles on the birthday cake shaped like a soccer ball.

"Hey, there you are," Percy kissed my cheek, "Where's Charlie?"

"Dana has her."

"Again? I thought we just got her back."

"Well, I was like that with Kate and Sam."

"Speaking of Kate," Percy smiled, wrapped his arms around my waist as he moved me to look to the soccer field, "isn't that adorable?"

My heart melted at the sight of the two of them.

Noah was nudging Kate, trying to cheer her up after the funk she had been on today. For the last two months, Kate had been the same age as Noah. Kate had really been a little too happy about being the same age as him, but I let it happen because it made her this happy.

And today was the come down.

I knew that she just needed some icing or something, but I knew she also needed time to pout.

"They remind me so much of us it's scary," I admitted.

"Which part is scarier? The prophecies? Or the whole big AB-WG thing?" he raised his eyebrows, and I shrugged.

"All of it."

He kissed the top of my head, and I bit my tongue.

"By the way, she just got here."

"Who?"

"JoJo."

Percy shrugged, and he went back to the cake.

"I will get the kids, and this party can get over with, okay?"

He kissed my cheek again, and he went into Dad-Mode.

I had to remind myself that he had done this before. No matter how much I loved my two children, I was still new to this. It had been only a year since Noah came into a life, and three months since Charlie was born. I still had a bumpy road ahead of me.

_And that is what I have Percy for…_

It was hard to imagine all that time without him. Maybe it is because I am always with him now, but I really can't imagine much of a day without him.

Not that I had any time to before parents and kids were swarming around me and the cake and the birthday boy.

For a moment there, it was perfect.

Two gods who hated each other cheered for the little boy on his birthday. A woman pushed aside her hatred for me and sang for her son. Even the city of New York seemed to get a little quieter for us, celebrating their most beloved child.

How could I ever want more?

I mean, yes, I wanted to get some real sleep. And I did miss work. And sometimes I could just strangle Percy.

But, all along this is what I wanted.

Two beautiful children, an amazing husband I love most, and no crazy monsters trying to kill us.

The rest was the icing on the cake.

"Make a wish!" Percy smiled at his son, and Noah took a deep breath as he blew out the six candles.

"That's my boy," JoJo kissed his cheek, leaving a big red lip-shaped stain on his cheek, and he quickly wiped it off.

"Happy birthday, Noah," I ruffled his hair, and he smiled up at me.

It was hard to remember the anger I had felt about him since I loved him so much now. I kept imagining what would have happened if he hadn't come around. If Percy and I had gotten married earlier and that maybe I could be the mother of Noah instead of JoJo. But I couldn't imagine my life without this crazy little kid now.

"Now, let's eat some cake."

_**Percy,**_

I understood why Charlie was having trouble sleeping. I was, too.

It wasn't because Noah had some friends over for his "over-night" party after the regular birthday party (they refused to call it a slumber party). They had worked out all of their energy.

It wasn't because I had a stack of papers to grade for summer school. I always had tomorrow.

It wasn't even Grover telling me today that he and Juniper and he were thinking about another baby and that we should do the same. I knew Annabeth was fine with our two kids and no more.

It was today, Noah's birthday.

This year, I had Annabeth to be the crying one, and I was perfectly fine with having traded roles. But then my mother decided to bring pictures from my sixth birthday party.

Usually, I would have had to stop my mom from crying, but I was about to cry now.

Suddenly, I was feeling everything Annabeth was feeling.

I had once been a baby. I had once been three months old, giggling and carrying on. I had once been six years old, wishing to be older. And now I was thirty with two kids, an amazing wife, and a past I didn't like to bring up.

No matter how much I lied to myself, I knew that was coming for both of them, especially little Charlie.

"Come on, Baby. Want to help Daddy grade papers?"

Charlie responded by holding on closer to her grey blanket.

"I will take that as a yes."

I carried her to the living room, and I set her on the couch beside me. I turned on a kids show to keep her entertained, and I powered on my laptop to start grading papers for my students. I was beginning a draft for an email to a parent when Charlie suddenly slammed her fingers on the keyboard.

I was about to reprimand her when I saw that she had changed my email account.

**One New Email**

This would have been nothing if it had been on my work email or my normal email, but this was different.

AtlanticBoy16.

I let a small smile cover my lips as I pressed the button to take me to my inbox, and my smile widened as I looked at the name it was from.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**It's been a year, you know? If the neighbor's baby who had been a newborn when they moved into my old apartment hadn't turned one, I might not even believe it. But then I had to go and get the proof from Noah.**

**Six. God, next he'll be sixteen. Then he'll be in college. Then he'll have a job. Then he'll get married. Before you know it, we'll be at **_**his **_**son's sixth birthday party.**

I smiled to myself and began another email to Annabeth.

I wasn't sure why.

I mean, she _was_ two rooms away. I could just get up and talk to her, but I did it any way.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGirl210**

**Well, aren't you in a good mood? Gods, why don't you go find some kids and tell them that they are all going to die someday?**

**Anyway, we have a long time until we get some grandchildren. Or we better… ;-D**

**And think about it. Our parents thought the same things about us. And, eventually, we have to just become our own grown-ups, make our own mistakes, and make our own families.**

**Gods, do you remember the big thing that happened when Athena heard we first… "tried for a family"?**

I pressed send, chuckling as I thought about it.

Annabeth and I had spent a long weekend together after a quest, pretending it was still going on when we really used the mist to trick someone into renting us some beach cabin in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't our plan for that to happen, but we _were_ hormonal teenagers left alone overnight. I was shocked in the morning that we were actually fine. I expected things to be awkward, but we were fine.

In fact, I made blue French toast while Annabeth jumped in the shower. After some kissing- enough kissing that our food got cold, and I had to heat it up- and we finished eating, I took a shower. When I came out, Annabeth was screaming at her mother, and Athena was calling me a pervert or something.

I jumped when I heard the ding from another email from Annabeth.

**From: WiseGirl210**

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**Why are **_**you**_** laughing about it? I remember you shaking and us having to hide underwater while we waited for my mom to cool down.**

**She was talking so much about how I would get pregnant that I honestly thought I would. She had me so convinced that I was going to be one of those girls you look at and think, "How could she have been so stupid and ruined her life like that?"**

**We were both so scared we didn't do anything for about six months, remember?**

**Hey, what about the freak out when I moved in with you? My mother refused to acknowledge even my existence for a month. We know how to make her mad, eh?**

"We sure know how to do that," I laughed to myself.

**From: AtlanticBoy16**

**To: WiseGirl210**

**That we can do. The worst part is that, if I guy like me came into Charlie's life, I would pull him away from my daughter, too.**

**Isn't that kind of funny?**

**Actually, isn't this all kind of funny?**

**It feels like yesterday we were just crazy kids sneaking out of the dorms to be together. And now we're married with a six year old and a baby, two time-consuming jobs, and crazy friends to mix all together. Sometimes it doesn't feel real…**

I pressed send, and I looked to my daughter, my heart melting.

How could I have a daughter?

Gods, wasn't it yesterday when I was celebrating graduating high school?

Oh my Gods… I was _thirty._

**To: AtlanticBoy16**

**From: WiseGirl210**

**Real?**

**Gods no.**

**Hard?**

**Yes.**

**Worth it?**

**Undoubtedly.**

**And you are the only person I could do any of this with.**

**I love you, AB.**

**-WG**

I was about to type back a response when I suddenly heard the snoring of my daughter.

Hurriedly, I typed something back,.

My smile grew so wide I was worried I looked like the joker, and I carefully scooped up Charlie. Taking her to her room, I kissed the top of her head as I put her back in her crib.

I sneaked into the bedroom, where Annabeth was taking a sip of her decaf coffee as she read through someone for work. She started back two weeks from now.

Annabeth had made an effort to have coffee all the time. Maybe it was to punish me after all those months I wouldn't let her have coffee, but she was determined to drink it at every opportunity.

Smiling wide, I wrapped my arms around her waist, and I kissed her cheek.

Annabeth tensed when I first did it, but she calmed down by the time I whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too, Annabeth."

She twisted around and kissed me, and, even though I knew I had sent it, I jumped when Annabeth's laptop buzzed on her desk. I pulled away long enough to look at her as if to ask if she wanted to stop and read the message.

But she shook her head and kept smiling as she pulled me into another kiss, and I leaned back to lock the door before she began to drag me to the bed.

_**You've Got Mail,**_ blinked on her screen, but even I forgot about it.

I didn't need email to talk to her anymore. She was finally mine.

I didn't have to sneak to my computer in the middle of the night and Google her to see her. I didn't have to dream for new memories with her. I didn't have to cling on to old memories of Annabeth. And I didn't have to spend my days filled with regret for walking out that door.

Truly, she belonged to me, and I belonged to her.

And it seemed Aphrodite had finally blessed me.

No, it didn't seem like it.

I had been blessed more than I could ever pray for to have Annabeth in my life.

_You've Got Mail_ wasn't my favorite phrase anymore.

I had three new words with Annabeth.

"I love you," I whispered, and Annabeth smiled, pulling away from me to run her fingers through my hair.

"I love you, too, Seaweed Brain."

* * *

**_Oh my God. I love you guys so much._**

**_Now, don't cry because I have a big surprise!_**


	44. Epilogue

_**Thirteen Years Later...**_

"Charlotte Lucia Jackson, this is _not_ funny!" Kate yelled, her voice full of fear and anger as she wandered through the locker room.

If it hadn't been for all of this, Kate would have felt weird walking through the men's locker room. And she definitely wouldn't have been screaming and calling attention to herself.

But that would have been before Kate had looked over her shoulder to look for the two girls she was supposed to be watching.

Through the celebration for the big win, Kate had lost both Emily-Rose _and_ Charlie.

The soccer teams in America didn't get much credit, but thanks to the new stars of one team, Noah Jackson and Sam Moore, they were getting some new recognition. It was following the plan that the two best friends Sam and Noah had set up years ago to work their way up to their dream team, Manchester United.

Tonight had been a big step in that plan, and Kate had been celebrating with her parents for her older brother. When she craned around to see if Emily-Rose and Charlie were still hugging and dancing to the loud music to celebrate for Charlie's older brother, her buzz had crashed, and she knew instantly where she went.

Charlie had asked earlier if she could go and see her brother, and Kate had told her that she would be able to see him later at Camp. She should have known that, when those two girls were together, they could-and most likely _would_- make some trouble.

Panic hit Kate harder as she looked more and more for her cousin, and she began to wonder if she had been wrong and there was something horrible happening.

Charlie was the granddaughter of Poseidon and Athena, and she was the daughter of the two most famous modern-day demigods, Annabeth and Percy Jackson. Even if not for that, she had a looming prophecy, the only one in years that had made some sort of sense.

It was clear that she was important and that it was Charlie, and everyone had been careful to make sure Charlie was safe.

_What if the monsters found her? What if her life is in danger because I wasn't paying attention?_ Kate was freaking out now. She could hear her heart beating erratically in her chest, and she felt like she might throw up.

And then Kate heard a giggle.

"Caught ya," Kate whispered to herself.

Knowing Emily-Rose's bubbly voice, Kate raced after the sound.

But the thin thirteen year old was faster than Kate.

"Coming to see your little boyfriend?" Emily-Rose giggled, a flash of red hair and wild green eyes peaking over the corner, and this fueled Kate to run after her even faster.

Emily-Rose weaved through the lockers expertly as if she had done this before, and Kate did her best to keep up.

But she had let herself get out of shape in her first year of college. She could still outrun a monster, but a thirteen year old was another story. She could no longer sprint mile after mile and be fine, and she felt that unfamiliar wheezing that came from running. She was no longer that spider-monkey she had been for all of those years, and her flexibility wasn't as great now that she quit swimming because she didn't have time. And her reflexes were a little slow, too.

Kate reprimanded herself for getting like this, and she made a mental note to really push herself this summer at Camp.

"Emily-Rose!"

"Na-na-na boo-boo!" Emily-Rose giggled as she kept running, and Charlie snickered at her cousin as she leaned against her older brother.

But, instead of laughing like his little sister, he reached out, and he pulled Emily-Rose to stop running by wrapping her up in his arms.

"Emily-Rose Willow Under-!" Kate froze when she turned the corner and saw him.

Her heart sped up, and her cheeks turned the shade of a strawberry.

Kate began to regret wearing her team tee shirt that was two sizes too big, and she wondered what had been going through her mind when she had decided to wear her lucky torn-up jeans. And it felt impossible to go against the natural reaction to brush through her messy brown hair.

_Noah Jackson._

It was easy to tell that Noah was related to a god and one of the most gorgeous demigods. Noah was almost an exact copy of what his father had looked like when he was nineteen. The only difference between the two was Noah's piercing blue eyes.

In the last year since Noah started professionally playing soccer, he had become the latest _Tiger Beat_ heartthrob. But Kate still saw him as the guy she had grown up with.

And maybe that was just the problem…

"Uh, thanks," Kate nervously pushed her hair behind her ear as she nodded, and Noah smiled as he let go of Emily-Rose.

"No problem, I have lost this Shorty a few times," Noah ruffled Emily-Rose's carnation red hair, and she stuck her tongue out at Noah though her cheeks were turning green as she blushed.

Noah wasn't exactly sure what to say.

He and Kate had met years ago through his best friend and her brother, Sam. They became friends as little children as they tried to get her "Aunt Annabef" with his dad, who were still in love with each other though they didn't want to admit it. By the time they got married, Noah and Sam had added Kate to become their best friend.

Kate had always seen Noah as her other older brother, and Noah had always seen her as his other little sister.

But, when Sam grew older and left, there was a year where it was just Noah and Kate. To this day, Noah couldn't figure out what had happened. But, all of a sudden, Kate stopped being the sweet little five year old he had always thought was so adorable, and she became… _Kate_.

It wasn't that bad though…

Well, not until Noah started playing and she continued as a senior in high school.

All of a sudden, she was out of his life, and he found himself missing her… No, he found that he _loved_ her.

Not that he thought she was hot. Not that he thought that they could possibly date. No, he _loved_ her.

And he couldn't stand it.

Especially not now.

It almost gave him a heart attack every time he went on Facebook and looked at the life she had built without him.

What he didn't know was what had happened to make her built a new life…

She could still feel that dejected feeling as she stopped and realized that it was senior prom and that a senior, Jones, had asked her. But, instead of enjoying the prom a year before her time, she was babysitting Noah's little sister because he had asked her to…

She knew she had to move on and that she would always only be his friend. And she knew she couldn't just live around him anymore. And sometimes, it almost killed her to press the silent button on her cell phone when he called and she was doing something. But she promised herself it would get easier.

"Hey, Kate," Noah finally said.

"Hey, Noah," Kate began to worry she was blushing.

_What am I doing?_ she wanted to scream.

This is Noah!

Noah who teased her when she got her braces at thirteen.

Noah who scared the Hades out of her first boyfriend, Haydn.

Noah who went with her for waffles after too much drama at her first high school dance.

Noah who taught her how to drive by driving her up to a small town in the middle of nowhere, which ended up with them getting lost for hours upstate.

Noah who took her out for ice cream and let her cry on his shoulder while watching _Pride and Prejudice _when she went through her first heartbreak.

Noah who had protected her through both of their prophecies.

But she couldn't help it.

"Hey, Shorty," Sam ruffled his little sister's hair, and her eyes flew to him.

"Hey, Sam," Kate crossed her arms, and Sam raised his eyebrows as he opened his locker by Noah.

"So, what's up with the three girls in the locker room?" Sam raised his eyebrows, a cocky grin on his lips, and Kate and Charlie simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"One of them is your _sister_," Noah nudged Sam, and Sam's face fell.

"Ew, man. You ruined it."

Another reason why he hated being in love with her…

Her older brother was his best friend and had been since he was five years old.

"So, seriously, why are you guys here?" Sam asked as he ran a towel through his soaking wet blonde hair.

Sam was pretty hot himself. He had grey eyes that girls swooned for, and his hair was the sandy blonde people dyed their hair for all the time. He had a killer smile, high cheekbones, and a Roman nose. He was known as a mini-Apollo though he _had _been given the smarts passed down from his grandmother, the goddess of wisdom.

Being a superstar soccer player had definitely boosted his confidence and had also helped him with the ladies, though he didn't need any help.

"I came to find Charlie and Emily-Rose. They came to see Noah," Kate crossed her arms, looking at the two girls, and Sam smirked at them.

He wasn't as close to Charlie as the others, but he still adored her. Sometimes, he did wish he was as close as Noah and Kate were to her. Heck, he even wished he was as close as Kate and Noah had been to _anyone_.

Sam was one of the few who had never teased them that they should get married. It had never come across his mind. While they had never really considered each other cousins, Sam still knew that they kind of were and had thought that they saw it the same way.

Yes, another reason why Noah and Kate should not be together.

When Noah was six, his father married Kate's aunt, Annabeth.

And this wasn't just an aunt to her. This was her favorite aunt, one of her favorite women in the entire world. She loved her to death.

And this wasn't just a step-mother to Noah.

His mother hadn't really been in his life since she lost full custody of him when he was three. She was never a good mom, but she was his. He was always trying to be the best boy in the world as if it would make her suddenly be the perfect mother. When his dad married Annabeth, Noah's mom got better, but she never had the mother instincts. When he was ten, she moved to LA, and he only saw her for half of the summer and holidays.

While Noah's mom became the second Mrs. Alexander to It-Chef and talk show host Henry Alexander after the divorce with his first wife who was a twenty year old actress when they married, Annabeth was there. She was his real mom…

"Come on. It's only a few hours until we're at camp together all summer," Sam rolled his eyes as he pulled on an old tee shirt, and he closed the locker and put his back to it to look at them better.

"They're pretty crazy," Noah ruffled Charlie's messy blonde curls, making her narrow her eyes at him.

"And you have to put up with them on the drive," Sam proudly smirked at his sister, and she smiled widely.

"And you have _the twins_."

Sam and Noah's jaw dropped, and Emily snickered.

Just like Emily-Rose was mischievous, so were her little brothers, River and Basil. Everyone said that they took after Grover when he was a kid, but Grover couldn't believe he had been that crazy.

River and Basil were evil geniuses who looked like angels. They had curly red hair, and their faces were covered in freckles. Their skin had a slight green tint to it, and their eyes were dark green.

"What?"

"Noah, do something!"

Noah looked to his best friend.

"What do you want me to _do_?"

"Use your Noah charms!"

"What's is a _Noah Charm_?"

"I don't know! Just _use_ it!"

_**XXXXXXX**_

Kate watched the clock flick over to eleven as Emily-Rose began to snore on her shoulder.

Having a thirteen year old passed out on her and beginning to drool wasn't exactly the most comfortable position in the world, but it had been better than sitting with Adriane.

Adriane had been her best friend since they were made roommates in their dorm. Adriane was the daughter of Iris who she had never been close to before, but they were like sisters now. Things had changed when it came to Noah.

Adriane was one of the few people who thought that Kate really didn't like Noah. Actually, she believed it so much that she had a crush on him. If Kate had been in the front seat, she would have had to listen to girl-talk about it.

Kate's eyes wandered from the clock to the two people in the front seat. Charlie had her headphones on in, and she was staring out the window. Adriane was humming along to the song softly playing through the speakers, but my eyes didn't stay on her long before they moved up to the Jeep driving in front of us.

_Noah._

She felt an unbearable anger at herself and sadness almost crush her as she kept thinking about him.

Oh how she missed him.

But she also wanted to be as far away from him.

_Why did I let him go?_ Kate asked herself.

"It is for my own good," she whispered to herself.

She wished she could talk to someone about it.

The people she trusted enough to tell could never know how she felt about him. The person she really wanted to tell happened to be his step-mother. The next person she wanted to tell was Adriane, who was also in love with him. But the person who could really help her and had always been able to was the reason she was losing her mind.

_But I do have someone to talk to about it…_ she remembered.

Kate was careful not to wake up Emily-Rose as she grabbed her cell phone from her pocket.

The cell phone turning on brought sudden light to the car, and she quickly turned down the brightness.

It took her a while to realize how to phrase the email because of their rule. From the beginning, they had been clear that this was supposed to be a place where they could just tell the truth. So no real names or situations that made their identities obvious.

Sometimes, Kate hated that. She felt close to him, and she wished she could at least know his name. But it didn't matter, as long as she still had him.

**From: PixarRules4**

**To: SoccerGuy18**

**I ran into him…**

**I will never understand how he makes me so weak. Green controls me, and he doesn't even realize it. One smile from him, and I have this high. He frowns, and I feel like crying. I feel my heart break every time I go to see him. But I also feel happiest when I am with him.**

**Things never seem to change, no matter how much stronger or older or smarter I get. I am putty in his hands, and he doesn't even know. But what if he did? What would happen?**

**Anyway, how did it go with you? How is Dianna? Better yet, how are you after seeing her?**

**-Pixar**

Kate pressed send, and she tucked her cell phone under her thigh, leaning back and waiting for a response.

Her eyes wandered to the Jeep again…

Noah kept looking in the rear view mirror at the car behind them.

He was sitting in the front seat, Sam driving. There was dead silence now that River and Basil were final asleep. They didn't dare wreck that, and the only sound they allowed was the light sound of the radio playing.

Sam didn't notice that his friend kept looking in the mirror, but he probably would have brushed it off anyway.

He never would have thought about who was in the car he was staring at, and he definitely would have never thought about the fact it was his little sister, too.

Noah almost wished that Sam could just know and be mad at him.

Sam being naive made Noah feel guilty like it was wrong and dirty. He already felt sick enough that he was in love with the girl who had been like his little sister for years. He didn't need that, too.

Forcing his eyes away from the mirror, Noah took out his cell phone for something- no, _anything_-else to do.

He was about to press Angry Birds when he saw the top alert for an email.

His heart sped up, and a small smile formed, though he tried to make it discreet because of Sam.

**From: PixarRules4**

**To: SoccerGuy18**

**I ran into him…**

**I will never understand how he makes me so weak. Green controls me, and he doesn't even realize it. One smile from him, and I have this high. He frowns, and I feel like crying. I feel my heart break every time I go to see him. But I also feel happiest when I am with him.**

**Things never seem to change, no matter how much stronger or older or smarter I get. I am putty in his hands, and he doesn't even know. But what if he did? What would happen?**

**Anyway, how did it go with you? How is Dianna? Better yet, how are you after seeing her?**

**-Pixar**

_Pixar._

The only reason he hadn't lost his mind.

He quickly began to write back a response about Dianna, the nickname he had given Kate for Pixar.

**From: SoccerGuy18**

**To: PixarRules4**

**Pixar? Weak? Does that really happen? ;-D**

**Me and Dianna…**

**She was perfect. She was smiling, and she was laughing. And she was teasing.**

**Sometimes I can't even tell if she misses me. And sometimes, I honestly don't want her to. I don't want her to be in my situation. There are so many reasons why we can't be together, and every brain cell I have is screaming to let it go.**

**But I can't help it, you know?**

**Anyway, what are you doing for vacation? Just camp or anything that doesn't involve pure torture and utter bliss at the same time?**

**-SoccerGuy**

Noah pressed send, and he turned back to check on Basil and River, where he could have sworn he could see a sudden light in the car behind them.

"_You've Got Mail,"_ blinked on Kate's screen.

* * *

_**All is Fair in Love and War**_

_**Out December 2012**_

**Charlotte Lucia Jackson is thirteen. She's on her school's swim team, and she has the highest grade in her class. Her best friend is Emily-Rose, who was born just a few hours before she was. Charlotte Jackson is just a kid…**

**But she is also the granddaughter of two powerful Greek gods, Poseidon and Athena. She is the daughter of two of the most well-known modern-day demigods, Annabeth and Percy Jackson. And, even greater, she is the chosen one to end the feud that has been happening for eons.**

**It is something she must complete alone, though no one will let her do so. Her older brother, Noah vows to protect her. And everyone around her is trying to stop the prophecy from happening, but will she be able to run from fate?**

* * *

_**So, yes, it starts all over again. Look for All is Fair in Love and War, set to come out this month!**_


	45. Author's Note

**When I started this story, it was something I was writing on a long car trip. I didn't see it going anywhere or catching on. And, when I first saw it in my mind, there was no Noah. Instead, Annabeth had a dog named Halley.**

**Then I started writing it, and it took on a life all its own.**

**And it took on a fan-base all its own!**

**I have been procrastinating and putting off this end, but it feels wrong to keep writing when I know it is time to finish it, especially since it has been six months since this began**

**Now, while I doubt this will be the end of my Fanfiction career, I doubt all of you will catch on to another story like you did this, not even the sequel. I **_**do**_** hope you read it, and I hope you love it! And I hope you also take a gander at some of my upcoming work.**

**If you have read my other stories, I have taken a shot at just about every possible angle of Percy and Annabeth getting-back-together stories. And I am going to try to go for something else. More like just continuing on Annabeth and Percy in their life instead of some big break-up.**

**Okay, I better go before I start crying.**

**I love you guys. You have seen me through a lot recently, and I honestly hope to see you through more on my other stories. And I also hope that, whenever I finally feel like I can stop tweaking my book and really send it off, so maybe I will see you through that.**

**Anyway, ciao!**

**;-D HAWTgeek ;-D**


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